


Broken Guitar Blues

by BettyHT



Series: Guitar Blues [2]
Category: Bonanza
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-19 00:28:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16129823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BettyHT/pseuds/BettyHT
Summary: The second in the Guitar Blues series:  There are tensions between Adam and Ben that result in Adam's departure, but when he returns, the family has changed as much as he has.  The family narrative is more mature then but the bonds are just as strong.





	Broken Guitar Blues

Broken Guitar Blues

Chapter 1

Ben was morose. He had spent some time with his neighbor Chet, and the two had talked of their sons after finishing their business. Ben had not had a happy week. There seemed to be another problem around the corner every time he thought they were finally clear of trouble. There had been problems with rustlers, with heavy rains that has caused a mudslide washing out a long section of fence by undermining the center which had anchored that whole line for many years, and finally they had caught two of the men drinking on the job after another had been injured trying to do work alone when he should have had help. His sons had been jibing each other all week and the tension in the house was nearly unbearable. Then when he had ridden in after a failed meeting with several of the mineowners, he found Adam sitting on the porch plucking his guitar in midafternoon.

"The rest of us are working and you sit here playing. You were on your high horse this morning complaining about your younger brother not doing enough, but here you are lazing around while he's working. I just rode by the branding corral, and Joe is there working. You apparently are too good to do that so you're just going to take it easy and let us do the work!"

Adam had set the guitar on the table and tried to interrupt several times but as he well knew, his pa's hearing seemed to fail when his anger was hot. Lately he was angry a lot. Finally, when his father stopped yelling, he managed to finally say something but never got to finish.

"Pa, if you would let me explain,…"

"I am so tired of you using your mouth to get out of doing your fair share. Now I have some contracts from Chet that need to be handed over to Hiram. If it isn't too much to expect of your royal highness, perhaps you could saddle a horse and do that?"

Adam reluctantly turned to go in the house to get his hat and gunbelt. He didn't want to deal with any more of his father's wrath. Lately, it seemed as if that was the only way that his father spoke with him. Daily he faced snide remarks and sarcastic even caustic comments. He knew his father was upset because he was again talking of leaving. He had expected his father to understand his need to travel and to follow a dream even if it wasn't as concrete as the one his father had followed.

As he was leaving, Ben picked up the guitar to throw it to him. He yelled for Adam to take the 'damn worthless piece of wood' and tossed it to him. Adam turned awkwardly and missed the catch as the guitar landed at a bad angle and the neck cracked. Ben had a momentary pang of regret but his anger wasn't going to let him concede anything at this point.

"If you had been doing your work like you should have been, this wouldn't have happened!"

The tension between them was palpable, but Adam managed not to fly into a rage. It was close though. He had seldom felt so strongly that he wanted to strike out at his father. He decided that he would take the papers to town and stay there for at least this evening. He probably should let Paul take a look at his damaged leg anyway. Without saying another word and letting his broken guitar lay, he came back out of the house, walked slowly to his father to snatch the papers out of his hand, and then walked stiff legged to the stable.

"And don't stay in town sulking. We have work to get at bright and early tomorrow."

Adam did not acknowledge the demand. He rode away without a comment or gesture. Ben stormed into the house stooping to retrieve the damaged guitar. By the time he got to the fireplace, he carefully set the damaged instrument on the hearth. He thought perhaps it could be repaired. The damage did not look too severe. As he thought about it, he wondered why Adam had not caught it. He was no more than ten feet away, and it should have been easy. Well, he thought he would apologize to him when he returned. With that, he went to his desk to make a plan to provide the lumber that Chet had contracted to get. He was still working when Hoss and Joe returned.

"Hey, Pa, Sport ain't in the stable. Didn't Adam get back here?"

"He was here. I sent him to town to deliver some papers."

"You what?" Joe was astonished. Hoss had a nearly identical look on his face.

"How could he ride?" Hoss asked the only logical question he could think of at that moment?

"Your brother has been riding since he was a small boy so I don't know why you would question me sending him to town on an errand when all he was doing was sitting around with that worthless guitar."

"Pa, Adam got kicked real hard. One of the cows went kinda loco and charged one of the men. Adam grabbed a lasso and got it and then ran the rope around a tree stopping the darn thing from charging anyone else. But he got kicked real hard in the leg. It was so bad, there was a dent in his thigh. I helped him get on his horse to head back here and told him to stay off that leg. I woulda got the doc, but he said he'd be all right."

"Ya, Pa, Hoss practically lifted him on his horse. It hurt him to stand."

Hoss walked over to the fireplace because Adam's guitar looked kind of funny the way it was sitting.

"Pa, what happened to Adam's guitar?"

"I, ah, tossed it to him and he didn't catch it. I'm sure it can be repaired."

Ben was feeling a load of guilt. Lately he seemed to have no patience with his oldest son. He snapped at him and pushed him. Adam had talked again of leaving and traveling, and Ben had let him know that was not acceptable. He needed him here. He feared losing his son and that made him feel weak and vulnerable. He had lost three wives and the last one had almost been the end for him. His heart nearly broke every time he thought about Adam being gone. It would be like losing Elizabeth all over again and the sense of loss was painful. He didn't like all of those feelings and vented his frustration at his son. Hoss and Joe walked out. He heard their horses as they left. Well he was thinking that perhaps the three of them could vent a little too, and it would be more peaceful around here.

Later that night, as Ben was enjoying a fourth glass of brandy that he was using to assuage his guilt over his behavior earlier, he heard horses in the yard and expected that he would soon see his sons. Instead almost immediately, the front door opened and Adam came in nearly carrying a half conscious Joe. He took him to the settee and laid him there. Ben rushed to his side and caressed the face of his baby boy.

"What happened?"

"He got shot."

"Who shot him?"

"Well, I guess you could say I did."

"You shot your brother! Who hit him so hard that half his face is bruised?"

"Well, I did that too."

"Get out! Get out! You want to travel so badly, well now is a good time to go. You shot your brother and beat him. How can you even stand there? Get out of my house."

Adam knew Joe was going to be all right, but if he had to face any more of this, his temper was going to cause something a lot worse to happen with his father. He stalked up the stairs and grabbed some belongings stuffing them in a saddlebag. He grabbed his coat and bedroll before he marched down the stairs and outside. Sport was standing ground tied so he mounted up and left. He wasn't sure where he was going to go, but it really didn't matter that much at the moment. He tried to control himself so that he didn't push Sport into a dangerous gallop in the dark. All he wanted to do was get away.

 

Chapter 2

In the house, Hop Sing had awakened and came out to see what the commotion was. Ben told him the little he had learned of what happened to his youngest son.

"But why?"

"The why doesn't matter. All that matters is that Adam shot and beat his brother. That is intolerable so I told him to get out. If he wants to leave so badly, then we're better off without him."

Hop Sing looked at Ben almost with disdain. He could smell the alcohol but there was more to what was bothering his employer. He knew there had to be a lot more to this story too, but his Ben Cartwright had been acting unreasonably for weeks.

"Why always matter just like oldest son always tolerable and most valuable son. You afraid he go away and now you make him go. You let anger mask your heart."

Hop Sing walked into the kitchen to get things to help tend to Joe but he muttered various imprecations in Chinese the entire time. Ben ignored his cook as he thought about what had happened. Adam had been riding Joe hard for the last few days, but Ben just never had thought it could go this far. He also wondered where Hoss was, but there was no one to answer that question.

Gradually Joe was able to stand with some help, and Ben helped him to his room and settled him in his bed. Joe seemed unable or unwilling to talk so Ben let him fall asleep. There would be time for talking later. He pulled a chair next to the bed, and prepared to wait as long as needed until his son was fully conscious so that he could be sure he would be all right. About two hours later, he heard the heavy tread on the stairs that indicated his middle son was home.

"Hey, Pa, how's he doing?"

"He's resting comfortably. Where have you been, and why weren't you able to stop this from happening?"

"Well, Pa, after Joe got shot, I went to get his money off the table and them jaspers wasn't gonna let me take it. So they started to trying to stop me and a big ole brawl broke out. I'd seen Adam hauling Joe outta there so I knew he was going to be taken care of. I hung onto his cash until Roy got there and broke up the whole mess. Then I had to go over to the jail and explain everything. When I got out of there, I headed over to the doc's, but he said he had told Adam it was all right to take Joe home, so I headed back here. Where is Adam anyway?"

"After what he did, I told him to leave."

"What?"

"He said he shot his brother and beat him. I will not tolerate that so I told him to get out. I can't take any more of him doing this kind of thing."

Hoss stood in shock. Of all the things he thought he might hear tonight, this was never even in the realm of possibility.

"Where'd he go?"

"I don't know. And right now, it doesn't matter."

"Damn it, Pa, it matters. Joe was in a poker game tonight. He was winning. Them jaspers accused him of cheating, and he was gonna go up against all three of them. It was a set up. Adam put his hand over Joe's gun so he couldn't draw. Joe fought him, and the gun went off. That's how he got shot. He wouldn't stop though. He'd been drinking and with the pain and all, he was out of his head. He hit Adam a few times, once real low, and Adam finally smacked him one so he could get him out of there."

Ben sat in shock. He couldn't believe what he had done. He had betrayed all the trust, all the love, and the loyalty his oldest son had ever given him.

"Hoss, I had no idea. Adam didn't explain any of that."

"Like this afternoon when you wouldn't let him tell you he was hurt! Ya, he told us all about it. He was hurting pretty bad about that, and what you did to his guitar. He talked some more about leaving, and now he's gone. After what you done, I don't know if he's gonna come back."

Joe started to thrash about on his bed. He was still in shock from the pain but he had heard enough to be upset.

"Adam's gone. Nooo. He saved my life, Pa, you have to get him back here, please. I was so ashamed I didn't want to tell you what happened. I didn't know you blamed Adam. It wasn't his fault."

Joe was inconsolable and finally Hoss got him some laudanum so he could sleep. Hoss thought about trying to find Adam, but unless he was in town, he had no idea where to look. In a couple of hours, it would be light enough to ride to town.

"Wake me in two hours. I'm going to try to find Adam."

With that, Hoss stalked to his room where he rested but found sleep elusive. Finally without being told the two hours were up, he left to ride to town. When he got there, he checked every hotel, restaurant, saloon, and whorehouse but no one had seen Adam after that fight. Hoss walked up and down the streets, but there was no Sport and he wasn't at any of the livery stables either. He then rode past Paul Martin's office and house and past Roy Coffee's place. He even rode past the homes of some of the ladies Adam had dated. He had to accept it at last. Adam was not in Virginia City. There was no way of knowing then where he was. Wearily, Hoss mounted up and headed home. It would be six years before he saw his brother again. There was one letter many months after he left letting them know he was alive and boarding a ship in San Francisco bound for Panama and Australia among other places.

 

Chapter 3

Joe was sobered by his experience that night that Adam left. Feeling that it was his fault as much as his father's, he determined to become more responsible. Although he didn't lose his fondness for poker, ladies, and alcohol, he became more temperate in pursuit of them. He still enjoyed a good time and had a bit of a temper, but the reckless, impulsive youth was gone. On the ranch, Joe became Ben's right hand man handling all of the responsibilities that had been Adam's. Although younger than Hoss by almost six years, he had the temperament and the skills to do those jobs, and Hoss didn't.

Hoss enjoyed his role on the ranch and was happy to continue doing what he had always done. He ended up bossing cattle drives because Joe worked as he always had as ramrod and their father begged off because of his age. When those drives ended though, Hoss was always happy to give up the added responsibilities that came with being the boss.

The Cartwrights rarely talked of Adam although it irritated the sons immensely when Ben introduced them as his two sons as if there wasn't another one. Without a letter or any means of learning where the oldest brother was, Hoss and Joe seldom had anything to say about him. On his birthday, they would quietly celebrate. Their father mourned twice now on Adam's birthday: the loss of his first wife and now the loss of his first-born son too.

Ben had long since admitted to himself that he was the cause of Adam leaving. If he had allowed him to spread his wings a little on the Ponderosa, his proud son would not have been forced to leave. If he had faced his fear that his son would leave, he could have found ways to accommodate his son's needs and maintained the family. Determined to do better with his two younger sons, he forcibly curbed his displays of temper and granted them more authority and autonomy. He discussed and often accepted their ideas and did his best to accommodate their needs and wants. In effect, he did what he should have done for Adam and treated Joe and Hoss as men and as partners. He knew that he had failed miserably with Adam, and the guilt ate at him and denial was his only refuge so that's what he did. He didn't want any questions about a missing son so he introduced Hoss and Joe as his two sons. Few ever questioned him, and those who did were silenced by his glare. But at night, alone in his bedroom, he offered prayers for his son's safety and happiness, and begged God to send him home and give his father one more chance. He had a few of Adam's things on his dresser with the mementoes of his lost wives. Each stirred up memories every time he saw them.

For Hoss and Joe, there were constant reminders of their long lost brother as well. One day about a year after he left, sitting at Adam's favorite place to fish, the brothers talked about their long missing brother.

"Hey, Hoss, do you remember when Adam caught that fish here that got stuck in the rocks there and you had to walk out on the rocks to get it?"

"Yeah, and I fell in and all you two yahoos did was laugh."

"If I recall, we all ended up in the lake that time. The only one on shore was the fish."

"That shur was a fun day."

"That's not the best lake story though. I remember bringing Becky out for a nice romantic picnic at a nice secluded spot by the lake only to see Adam first and then you dive into the lake from up on those high rocks in all your naked splendor."

"Well, Joe you did know that's where we went to swim on a hot day. And I don't know about my naked splendor, but I think Becky was pretty interested in Adam's as we came walking out of the water."

"Yeah, I was pretty angry at him and he was pretty embarrassed, and then I got madder because Becky wasn't as upset as I thought she should be."

"There's just so many good memories. Last Christmas decorating the tree, I remembered all his favorite ornaments for the tree."

It was sobering too to talk like this and realize that there might be no more memories of the three of them together. Although they never did admit it to each other, all these memories caused each of them to shed tears some nights when they were alone. They had pressed their father to hire someone to look for Adam, and when he refused, they did it themselves. The report they had gotten was depressing. Once Adam disembarked in Sydney, Australia, he disappeared. There was no record of him anywhere after that. The Pinkerton report bluntly stated that he had likely been killed on arrival for unknown reasons by unknown assailants, or he was no longer using the name Cartwright. They hoped the latter was true but had no way of knowing.

About a year later, there was some hope when Dan told them that a newspaper in Sydney subscribed to the Territorial Enterprise. Upon contacting the paper, they got a short succinct return letter informing them that the paper subscribed to most of the newspapers in the western region. There was no reason to think Adam was involved.

After a few years, Ben had Hoss and Joe pack up all of Adam's belongings and put them in storage. Candy came to work on the Ponderosa, and Ben acted like he was a substitute for Adam and even invited him to live in the house. Jamie was adopted, and eventually Griff was pulled into the fold. Ben always acted as if these were normal events, but Hoss and Joe understood he was trying to fill the hole in his heart. They liked Candy, and he became a trusted and loyal friend, but he wasn't their brother. The same was true for Jamie and Griff even though Jamie became part of the family and they loved him. Their love for him never weakened their love for their missing brother. There were more of them at the dinner table, but no matter how many, there was always the feeling that someone was missing. It bothered Hoss and Joe that they couldn't broach this subject with their father, but there was nothing to be gained from the discussion anyway until they knew their brother's fate. Little did they know that they were about to be surprised.

 

Chapter 4

Hoss and Joe were in the mercantile and would have already left except there was a new shipment of sweets, and Hoss couldn't make up his mind which ones to buy. Joe was anxious to go visit Alice. She had agreed to marry him, and he tried to spend as much time as possible with her.

"Come on, Hoss, just take one of each. It's what you want to do anyway."

"Allrighty then, that's what I'm gonna do. Put one of each of these in a bag for me please."

Candy walked into the store then and handed an envelope to Joe.

"Andy over at the International House said that he needed to deliver this to the Ponderosa, and I said that all of you were in town so he asked me to give it to you. Says it's from a man who rented the big suite there."

"What is it, Joe?"

"Well as soon as I open it, I'll let you know."

Candy and Hoss waited as Joe read.

Apparently, it's from a mining interest in Australia, Black Mines, Ltd. It owns some mining interests around here and is interested in more. The owner wants to meet with us to discuss supplying timber square sets. He's invited us to lunch tomorrow if we're available. Says he wants you and me and Pa too. I wonder why that's important."

"Heck it's a free lunch at the International. As soon as we can tell Pa, we can send a note back that we can make it."

A dark haired, petite, and very pretty young lady walked in with a young son. Candy might have been interested, but she sported a sizeable wedding ring and had a son. She was obviously spoken for already. As they heard her talk though, they were intrigued. Her accent sounded a little British but different at the same time. Her son seemed to have unlimited questions most of which were 'why', but she answered every one of them although she spoke so quietly that they couldn't understand most of her answers. About that time, Ben walked in and turned nearly white as a sheet as he saw the young boy.

"Pa, you all right? You aren't going to faint or nothing, are ya?"

"No, no, it was just a surprise. That little boy over there looks just like Adam did at that age. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

"Pa, look at this. We got an invitation to lunch tomorrow. It's Saturday, so there's nothing much doing."

Ben had to smile at his son's enthusiasm. Add a meal to an invitation, and Hoss would be there. He continued to steal glances at the young boy and couldn't get over the resemblance. As he heard the incessant questions, he had to smile. That little boy reminded him so much of Adam. Before he got maudlin though, he decided to get back to the business at hand. He read over the letter that Joe had.

"Yes, this looks fine. I wonder why he needs to meet with all three of us though. Well, it's not a problem. Candy, can you let them know at the hotel that we will be there."

"Yes sir, and then I'm heading over to see if there's a gal at the Bucket o'Blood that would like to spend some time with a handsome cowboy. See you all later."

"Hey Candy, if you find one, tell her I'm over here."

"Sure, Joe, sure."

Lyn Cartwright surreptitiously watched the three men. She knew who they were by the descriptions she had heard for years. When AC had wanted some new 'American' books, she had thought a trip to the mercantile would be fun. It had turned into something much more. So these were Adam's brothers and his father. His father and big brother fit the description she had very well but the youngest had changed a lot. She would have to tell Adam that his youngest brother was turning gray and looked mature at least until he smiled. The rakish youth was still there. She heard him mention fiancée and that would be welcome information for her husband too. AC had picked out a few books and at the counter, begged for a candy treat. She let him pick a few and then asked the proprietor to add Adam's favorite, butterscotch, to the bag. When she did that, Ben stared. It was all so amazing. If he thought about it too much though, his heart would break so he turned back to his sons and suggested it was time to head home if they planned to be back here tomorrow for lunch. There were some things they needed to get done.

"Pa, I'm going to see Alice. I'll be home later."

Ah, Lyn had another bit of information to tuck away for her husband. She had not meant to be a spy and collect information but was having fun doing it. She would make him pay for each and every item of intelligence though. She just had to decide what he needed to pay. Kisses would be a good start, but that was too easy. She would have to give it more thought. They wouldn't talk about this in front of AC so she had hours to plot.

"Hey, Pa, Jamie might be a might upset not to be included. He's a son too even if he got here a little later cause he's adopted. Do you think it would be all right to bring him along?"

"Hoss, Jamie doesn't need to attend business meetings. At his age, he would probably be bored anyway."

Ooh, Lyn got one more bit of information as she was leaving. She walked across the street and entered the hotel. As the Cartwrights exited the mercantile and Joe and Hoss saw her enter the hotel, they both wondered if she was married to the man they were to meet the next day. If she was, the scenery at lunch might be very pleasant regardless of where they ate. The brothers looked at each other and smiled: on this, each knew what the other was thinking. They finished loading the wagon and then Hoss and Ben headed for home, and Joe rode to see Alice.

 

Chapter 5

As was the routine for each meal, Adam and his family had their meal delivered to their hotel suite. After dinner, Adam helped AC read from his new books, and Lyn nursed Beth. She was a fussy baby but was content as any baby during and after being nursed. They would have about four hours of peace before the nightly assault of a crying unhappy infant. Adam got AC settled in the small bedroom of their suite and then joined his wife in their bedroom.

"Now you said you had some things to tell me but there would be a price. What are those things, and what is the price?"

"To start, every question requires a kiss in payment."

"Hmmm, two questions, two kisses. I like this arrangement."

Adam nuzzled her neck and kissed her twice.

"I saw your family at the mercantile. You need to make me an offer for more information."

Adam started to caress his wife as he kissed her neck and then traced the line of her dress below her neck.

"How's this?"

"Your father looks just like you described and Hoss too."

Adam unbuttoned her dress and as the dress fell to the floor, he kissed her shoulders and slipped his hands under her chemise and pulled her into another deep kiss.

"But Joe is turning grey and he doesn't look at all skinny."

Adam grabbed the edges of the chemise and tugged it up her arms and over her head. Then he caressed her more and moved lower with his kisses.

"Joe is engaged to a woman named Alice."

Adam slid his hands down her arms to her hips as he pressed his body into hers as he stood and moved to her lips for another long and passionate kiss.

"A man named Candy works for them."

Adam slipped his fingers inside the waistband of her pantaloons and slid them to the floor never stopping the kisses he was trailing down her body.

"You have an adopted brother named Jamie."

Adam stopped in surprise.

"Oh, don't stop."

"Is there any more?"

"Oh, sweet God Almighty, luv, I hope so! Please don't stop now."

Adam slipped his arm behind Lyn's knees, picked her up, and gently laid her on the bed. Dropping his own clothing to the floor, he slid into the bed and wrapped his arms around his wife. He continued his caresses and covered her mouth with his so her screams wouldn't wake the children. That had happened before especially on the ship, and he was one frustrated husband until the children could be coaxed back to sleep. As she kissed him passionately, he let her know just how happy he was with her and how much he wanted her. Later as they lay together in a relaxed embrace, they talked.

"Do you think your father can handle the shock of seeing you tomorrow? He looked a little pale when he saw AC. I think he recognized how much he looks like you."

"No matter how I do it, it's going to be a shock. But I want to see his face. I want to be able to read him. I need to know what he's really feeling. If I'm not welcome, I need to know it. We can go back home then with no regrets."

"How could he not welcome you? You are the most wonderful man I have ever known."

"I think my father loved me, and he could be very compassionate and caring especially if I was hurt or in trouble. He worried about us if we were late or if there were threats or other issues hanging over our heads. But he was not an easy man to live with. I know I have told you stories about some of our confrontations especially the last ones. I need to know if anything has changed, and how."

"Well, tomorrow we'll know."

Adam kissed her and pulled her into a tight embrace. He wasn't sure he could sleep tonight, but with Lyn by his side, he could face anything. In the morning, they both looked a bit haggard. Adam had had trouble sleeping, and Beth had awakened repeatedly interrupting and shortening Lyn's sleep as well.

 

Chapter 6

Late the next morning, Adam sat in a chair by the window rocking Beth and singing all the lullabies that he could remember. A cool, soft breeze was blowing in and Beth was snuggling into the blanket Adam had wrapped around her. It was nearing time for lunch, and Beth needed to nap so that the babysitter they had hired would be able to watch over her. Outside, Joe stopped so suddenly that both Ben and Hoss bumped into him.

"What's the matter, Joe? See something that scared you?"

"No, didn't you hear that? It sounded like someone singing one of those songs that Adam said my mother taught to him, and it sounded like Adam's voice too."

Beth had finally succumbed to sleep so there were no more lullabies. Adam carefully stood and placed her gently into the cradle in the master bedroom. He pulled the window closed so that she would not be disturbed by any noise from outside. Down below, the three men listened but heard nothing. Joe shrugged and the three of them walked into the International. Upstairs Lyn walked out of AC's room and asked Adam where their son was.

"I don't know. While you were dressing, I was rocking Beth. Earlier AC said he was hungry. I hope he didn't go downstairs on his own. I'll go check."

As Ben, Hoss, and Joe waited at the reception desk, they saw the little boy from the mercantile the day before. He was wandering about looking at everything. Ben was again struck by how much he looked like Adam. Then they heard a bellow that shocked all three of them.

"AC, come here right now."

The little boy ran over to the tall, bearded man at the foot of the stairs who gave him a few swats on the behind. The little boy burst into tears, and the man gathered him in his arms as the boy hugged him around the neck and then wrapped his legs around the man's waist as he stood. Ben started forward with Joe and Hoss right behind him.

"Adam?"

Adam looked behind him to see his family.

"Oh damn it to hell, it wasn't supposed to happen this way."

"Papa, you said bad words."

AC had leaned back and was regarding his father with a very serious expression.

"I know and I am sorry. You can tell your mama, and she'll punish me. Is that all right with you?"

AC nodded and laid his head on his father's shoulder again.

"Pa, Hoss, Joe, would you join me in my suite upstairs please?"

Adam turned and walked up the stairs. He could only hope that they were following him. If they didn't, he would be heading back to Australia soon. If they did, they would talk, and he and Lyn would have some decisions to make. When they got to the suite, Adam opened the door and his family walked in behind him. Lyn looked up in surprise, and Adam shrugged and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I found AC in the lobby. My father and brothers were there too. I believe you saw each other yesterday so Lyn actually knows who you are. Pa, Hoss, Joe, this is my wife Evelyn but everyone calls her Lyn."

"I am pleased to meet you. Adam, I'll take AC into our bedroom until the sitter arrives."

With that, Lyn took AC's hand and walked to their bedroom tugging at her son as he was half turned and staring at the three men with his father.

"Mama, Papa said some bad words."

"And you think I should punish him?"

AC nodded and Lyn quietly closed the bedroom door.

"Adam, we thought you were dead. It's been six years and no word from you for over five."

Adam raised his eyebrows and smirked as only he could but there was a hint of a smile too.

"Sorry if it disappoints you, Joe, but I am quite well."

"Adam, we hired detectives and they said they couldn't find ya once ya reached Sydney. They checked every place you coulda stayed, and no one had heard of ya."

"Hoss, I had malaria when I reached Sydney. Must have picked it up somewhere along the way. Probably in a stop in Panama. I was in a private home, Lyn's parents' home. They knew the captain and as I had little money on me, they thought me destitute and took pity on me. I spent months recuperating. I met Lyn, and we fell in love. We married soon after I was able to stand on my own two feet. I got the money that I had transferred to the Bank of Sydney and bought some mining property. Eventually the business got so big, I had to incorporate."

"Son, why didn't you write? I so wanted to beg your forgiveness, but I had no way to communicate with you."

"I did write several letters. One when I left San Francisco, another when I finally was well although of course that was almost a year after I left. I tried one more time later but never received a reply. I thought you didn't want to hear from me."

"We only got that first letter."

Adam sighed. If only he had known.

"Adam, what do you want here?"

"I wanted to know if I was still part of this family. I left due to my anger and frustration which was my choice, but I was also told to leave. Lyn's parents died in a fire last year. They had retired to a small farm outside of Sydney and there was a wildfire in the night. They never had a chance. Her brother was caught in a cave-in at an opal mine a few months after that. They had moved from England to Australia and have no other relatives there. We have many friends but no family there. Do we have family here?"

Ben stepped toward Adam. "My son!" He reached out his arms and Adam stepped toward him. Soon all four men were hugging and a few tears were shed. There was knock on the door, and Adam answered it. He escorted the sitter to the bedroom, and Lyn and AC came out and shut the door behind them. Lyn gave Adam a questioning look.

"I think my family would like to meet our son."

"What does AC stand for? Adam Cartwright?"

"the second. We're hoping that AC will have a son someday too and pass along his father's name."

"Why Black Mining instead of Cartwright Mining?"

"We specialize in black opals and silver which is often black when it is discovered. There are also some other opal mines and a few gold mines but the focus remains on the black opals in the Blue Mountains and on silver here. There's some mining for lead and zinc at those mines as well. There is also a timber and lumber operation in the Black Mountains as well as in the Blue Mountains."

"So it ain't got nothing to do with your liking black clothes?"

Lyn poked Adam in the side and grinned at Hoss' question.

"He'll tell you no, but I think there's a little fibbing going on with that. He likes people to think he's a mysterious Mr. Black. Got a little of that pirate imagination in him."

"Papa's a pirate?"

"No, but I think your grandpa might have known a few. Do you know which one of these men is your grandpa?"

Joe grinned as AC looked them over. AC ran over then and pointed at Joe which got everyone laughing.

"AC, do you remember what a grandpa is?"

AC shook his head negatively.

"Your grandpa is my father so he has to be older than me."

AC looked again and walked over to Ben.

"Are you my grandpa?"

"Yes I am. I am proud to meet you."

Ben knelt down in front of the little boy.

"I would love to have you come visit me."

"Can Mama and Papa come too? Beth doesn't have to come. She cries a lot."

"You are all most welcome to come."

Ben looked at Adam to see where he wanted to go with this.

"I'll have lunch sent up here. We'll talk and see how things go. We will bring AC out to the ranch at some point. There are a lot of things I would like to show him and Lyn."

 

Chapter 7

They ate lunch and it turned into hours of conversation as they were updated on each other's lives. Adam knew a lot about what had happened in Virginia City and with his family because a newspaper in which he had invested had subscribed to all the papers in the region at his request. It took months for them to reach Australia, but through them, he knew a lot of what had happened in the previous six years. He asked about Candy and Jamie. Then Hoss had what he thought was a final question.

"I looked for you all over Virginia City the day you left. Where were you?"

"I stayed with Swede and Annie. They had always told me I was welcome anytime. As I rode that night, I was wondering where to go and thought of them."

"Doggone it, I shoulda thought of that. Why didn't you come back?"

"If I came back, I was only going to leave again. With the way things were, I thought it would just be hard on everyone. After a few weeks, I visited some friends in Sacramento and worked for a time on the street project there. Finally I ended up in San Francisco and saw that Edwin was due. I stayed there until he finished his run, and then booked passage to Australia. I thought if you were looking for me, you would have found me by then. I wasn't hiding so I guessed you weren't looking."

At that, Ben hung his head. That was his fault, and he knew it.

"Hoss and Joe wanted to search right away. I said no. I thought you would get over being mad and come home. By the time I realized that I was wrong again, I thought it would be hopeless to try to find you with no clue as to where you went. Once we got the letter that you had shipped out, I thought there was no point to a search. Hoss and Joe did that search for you on their own after we got the letter."

"You don't need to feel too bad about that. Life has been very good to me for the last six years."

AC had climbed onto Adam's lap after lunch, and Adam reached over and took Lyn's hand in his. By the smile she gave Adam and his in return, his father and brothers could see that he was a happy man. He hadn't been happy before he left so maybe this had all been worth it. Adam looked over at Joe.

"And a little bird told me that you're engaged?"

"Yes, Alice. If you come to church tomorrow, we'll be there. Otherwise, anywhere, anytime, I would love to introduce you to her. I think you will really like her. And Hoss has a steady gal too: Laurie. I think he's getting ready to pop the question."

Not only Adam but Ben looked surprised by that statement.

"Aww, Joe, why'd ya hafta say that. I told ya to keep that a secret."

"Well Hoss, I can keep a secret and so can Lyn. But AC knows now and he's terrible at keeping a secret. You better ask her quick before he blurts it out."

"Can't ya tell him not to tell?"

"Oh, he doesn't mean to tell. It just kinda pops out at the most inopportune moments. Reminds me of another hyperactive boy we both knew."

"And he ain't changed a bit as you can tell by him telling my secret just a minute ago!"

Beth squalling from the bedroom was Lyn's signal to exit lunch. Lyn excused herself and sent the sitter out to Adam who handed her several silver dollars. Her eyes grew wide at the payment and she thanked him profusely before taking her leave. Adam agreed to meet the family at church the next morning. He asked if Jamie would be there and they assured him that he would. Adam picked up AC and walked with his father and brothers to the front of the hotel. There was no reason to hide any more.

As Adam stood there chatting with his family who were reluctant to leave, Roy Coffee crossed the street walking toward them. He had seen the tall, bearded, elegantly dressed man get off the stage the day before with a pretty little woman, a boy, and a baby. He had wondered if it could have been Adam, but had been distracted by a ruckus in the street. By the time he had returned, the family had gone to the hotel. Now seeing him standing with Ben, Hoss, and Joe, he knew it had to be Adam. Adam greeted him and invited him to dinner asking him to invite Paul too. Roy took his leave promising to be there at dinner with Paul. As Hoss and Joe started to walk away, Ben turned to Adam because there was something he needed to say and couldn't wait any longer.

"Son, if you want to talk to me about anything even if it is to tell me to stay out of your affairs or make changes in what I say to you, please talk with me. I will promise to listen and not lose my temper no matter what it is. I know that my temper and not listening were big parts of the trouble between us. I have tried over the last six years to mend my ways with my sons. Please, give me another chance."

Adam put his hand on his father's shoulder and pursed his lips as he nodded affirmatively. They would both have to work on the relationship to mend the rifts, but this had been an excellent start.

His father and brother left then and Adam returned to his suite. A lot of people had seen the group together and rumors began to fly through Virginia City.

 

Chapter 8

The next day, outside the church, Adam greeted a number of people he recognized. He introduced his family. By the time Ben and the others arrived, most knew that the wandering son had returned. What they didn't know was all the rest: where he had been, what had he been doing, and how rich was he? There would be a lot more rumors before the day was done. Seeing his beautiful wife and hearing her unusual accent had a number of people guessing her origins and their story.

Dan DeQuille from the Territorial Enterprise was in church and heard a lot of the rumors. Some were good, some were bad, and some were outlandish as obviously those people had never known Adam. There was a good story here but Dan assumed Adam would be as reluctant as he had always been to share anything about his private life. Dan began thinking of possible ways to get him to relent at least a little.

In church, Adam and his family sat directly behind Ben and his other three sons with Alice next to Joe. Alice met Adam and his family. Alice noted some similarities in Joe and Adam, but Adam was a much more serious and intimidating man. He made her feel just a bit nervous, and she could see why some had told her that people usually didn't challenge the oldest son. After meeting Adam and chatting briefly, Jamie decided he liked his new oldest brother, and when Adam started singing, Jamie turned around to stare. He had no idea anyone in his family could sing like that. What was even more amazing to Ben, Hoss, and Joe was the voice that sounded like an angel when a simple hymn was the choice for after the sermon. They turned expecting it to be Lyn but found it was AC. Some in church stopped singing and listened as Adam and his son continued to sing not realizing that they had become the center of attention. The deep resonant baritone and the boy's clear and soaring soprano made the song sound truly heavenly. After the service ended, many people came up to the family to thank them for singing. Adam was embarrassed at the attention, but AC loved it and made sure to thank every one who praised him.

"Lyn, I told you he was more like Joe than me."

"He has your singing talent, your charm, your intelligence, and your looks. He's only five. Wait until he's older before you worry too much."

Adam had rented a carriage and told his family he would be out to the ranch house later but first wanted to show a few sights to Lyn and AC. He took them high on the hill over the lake to see that view. He brought them to meadows filled with wildflowers and then to his favorite fishing spot. He showed them the cabin he, Hoss, and their Pa had lived in before they built the house high above the lake. Then he drove to the hill above the ranch house and stopped and stared. He had sometimes thought he would never see this again and there it was. Lyn almost held her breath at the view. This was gorgeous, but she knew that Adam no longer wanted to live here. If he stayed, he would build them a house. It had been one thing he would not budge on for some things make an impression that couldn't be changed. He would never again live in his father's house. So even though he was the oldest, he would let one of his brothers have that distinction.

Once Adam drove into the yard, the family came out to greet them. Joe and Alice said hello again, and Alice and Lyn seemed to be taking to one another. Hoss introduced Laurie and AC's parents held their breath but he said nothing so they relaxed. Griff and Candy were also there and were introduced. Hoss and Laurie took AC out to the barn to see some new puppies, and Adam was amazed to learn that his father now allowed dogs on the ranch. As Adam approached the house, Hop Sing came out to greet him with a bow. Adam walked closer and enveloped his old friend in a hug. Adam reached into his pocket and then pressed an amulet into Hop Sing's hand. Hop Sing opened his hand to see a carved three inches tall jade dragon, the symbol of good luck, talisman of protection, and symbol of happiness to its owner. Hop Sing smiled at Adam and gave his thanks. Then he mumbled something in Chinese, but everyone could tell how happy he was as he walked back into his kitchen.

Beth started to make her unhappiness known and for the next hour, it grated on everyone's nerves as the baby fussed. Finally, Hop Sing came out with a tiny dish of something yellowish white that looked like pudding. He asked Lyn to feed to the baby as he said it would help her tummy and she would stop crying. Lyn looked at Adam who nodded. He had seen so many of Hop Sing's remedies work over the years that he was not going to object. Beth did not want to eat any so Hop Sing retrieved some honey and spread that over his concoction. Then Beth was more than willing to eat and soon the bowl was empty. Lyn waited for the fussing to resume, but Beth lay in her arms smiling instead.

"What was that magic food?"

"Baby have sore tummy. She not do well with milk. I feed her cultured milk pudding with herbs and spices. It help her eat. You do every time baby eat she no have sore tummy."

"Hop Sing, I love you. You are a priceless gem."

Hop Sing looked embarrassed and highly pleased as he returned to the kitchen. He brought out a small container and handed it to Lyn. She smiled and thanked him. Maybe they could all sleep through the night for the first time since Beth was born. Lyn asked if it was possible to take a ride on the Ponderosa sometime when they could arrange a sitter for the children. Alice volunteered to watch the children for them.

"Hon, do you know what you're getting into. That's a Cartwright boy! And it's Adam's son too."

"Joseph, why should that matter?"

"Pa, I never told you, but when I used to get in trouble over and over again, Adam gave me some advice that helped a bit. He told me that my problem was getting caught. He said he did a lot of the same stuff but was smart enough not to get caught most of the time. So he said I should not only plan what I was going to do but how to get out of it without anyone knowing."

Adam had the grace to blush a little at that even if the news was twenty years old, and Ben had to laugh.

"I suspected as much, but that boy of mine was always smarter than me. It was only experience that I could count on to catch him at anything."

Hoss and Joe both knew that 'boy' had always grated on Adam's nerves, and the stoic expression he adopted confirmed that it still did. Ben took note and resolved to remove that word from his vocabulary.

"I meant to say that son of mine."

Adam nodded in appreciation of the gesture. He had asserted his independence, and his father had accepted it, but Ben knew he would have to be careful in what he said. Adam was still prickly about their parting and it would take time for him to relax around his father. As Adam drove his family back to town and stopped by the hotel to drop off his wife and children before returning the carriage to the livery stable, Dan walked down from the hotel porch where he had obviously been waiting.

"Welcome back to Virginia City, care to talk a bit?"

"No, actually, William, I do not."

"How about if I talk then, and you listen. Not that many people know my name. William Wright is such a boring name." And Dan swung himself up into the carriage without an invitation.

"On the other hand, Adam Cartwright fronting for a notorious criminal, Mr. Black, now that is interesting."

With that, he had Adam's attention.

"Oh yes, the rumors floating around town about you are quite juicy, well at least some of them. Gun for hire home now to retire and avoid family and friends seeking revenge. Home with a mysterious illness which has caused him to grow a beard to hide the telltale signs on his face. Taken up with a married woman and fleeing Australia to escape her husband's wrath. Abandoned his wife who had given him a son and ran off with the nanny. She is a lot younger than you which has certainly sparked speculation. There's a bunch of them out there. You may not like publicity but showing up after six years with a pretty wife and obvious wealth has caused an avalanche of gossip. You know I don't lie. Now if you would like to calm the waters, you could give me a short and sweet synopsis of where you have been and what you have been doing for six years. I'll publish my exclusive and the talk will die down. It can be in the paper in two days. That's my offer."

By then, they had exited the livery stable and were nearly back at the hotel.

"Meet me in my suite tomorrow morning at eight for breakfast. We'll talk and then Lyn and I will give you an answer."

Dan walked away whistling. He knew he had the story. Within three days, the rumor mill shut down. The real story was interesting but hardly the grist the gossip mill needed to keep producing. The only personal item in the story was about the beard.

"Why the beard?"

"I got tired of shaving twice a day."

 

Chapter 9

Over the next few weeks, Lyn agreed with Adam that they should live here. The more that she saw, the more she liked it. She spend time with Laurie and Alice and enjoyed that as well. Adam purchased a house in town as a temporary residence and they moved in there buying only essential furniture pieces. Ben signed over a section of the Ponderosa to Adam so that he could build a house on land that he owned. Adam already had plans prepared so in short order, a house was being constructed. Adam planned its construction in three phases.

Adam and Lyn bought two horses and paid for their care in the livery. They began taking rides out to the home site and to other areas. Adam showed her his favorite picnic spot by the lake, and they spent a romantic afternoon there. The sitter, Aubrey, enjoyed being with their children and didn't seem to mind having to rock a baby to sleep either. She and AC loved books and they would often find the two of them reading when they returned.

Adam rented an office in town and hired people to work for him as he managed his many investments. Telegraph lines and burgeoning railroad lines made it possible for him to virtually work from any location. He divested himself of most of his Australian holdings and used that money to invest in a number of new businesses. Most of his work was in hiring people to oversee the operation of those acquisitions.

By Thanksgiving weekend, the central part of the house was ready for the family to move in. There would be two additions, one at either end of the house, but the essential rooms were ready. His family helped move them. Most of the furniture had been delivered by freight wagons, and had already been arranged as they wanted it. The pieces they were bringing from the rented home filled in the other spaces. All of his family members wanted to see the water closet he had designed into the second floor and the washroom with water closet that was next to the kitchen. There was a separate room with a bath as well. When Hoss saw the size of the tub, he was shocked.

"Adam, I think you made a mistake. This here tub oughta be at Pa's house. I could really relax in this one. Why do you need such a big tub anyway?"

Joe started giggling and Lyn blushed, and then so did Hoss as he understood.

For a month, they enjoyed their new home. AC liked his room which was lined with bookshelves on one side so he could have his books, his 'treasures' and anything else on display. Beth's room was opposite of AC's and both were on the opposite end of the hall from their parents by design. Lyn was a bit of a screamer and Adam wanted to indulge that as often as possible.

The first snowfall was a memorable event. Lyn and AC had never seen it snow. They made snow sculptures, built a snow fort which was attacked by Adam as he initiated a snowball fight, and slid down a nearby slope on a sled. Beth was too little to do most of those things but enjoyed the sledding immensely as she sat on her mother's lap as they hurtled down the slope. AC's first solo sled trip had his parents laughing as they heard a plaintive query as he headed down the slope.

"How do you stop this thing?"

"Just hang on, AC, it'll stop itself at the bottom."

The Christmas season brought more traditions for Lyn and AC to learn and enjoy. Adam bundled his family in the sleigh and headed out to get a Christmas tree and branches for trimming and decorating. Lyn had never imagined how beautiful a Christmas tree could be until she saw that pine in her house decorated with ornaments, popcorn, cookies, and candles. AC especially liked the cookie decorations and his parents allowed him one per day as a treat. On Christmas morning, Adam bundled his family into the sleigh again, and they headed to his father's house to join in the celebration of the holiday and of Hoss' engagement. Joe would be married in spring and Hoss in the summer. AC had not let the secret slip out but announced he did have a secret. When Joe snickered, he got mad.

"I do too. Mama is going to have a baby but you're not supposed to tell anyone yet."

Adam rolled his eyes skyward and Lyn blushed. They had only discovered the news and AC had overheard Adam's deep voice as he was overjoyed and exclaimed 'We're having a baby!' after which they instructed AC that he couldn't tell anyone yet. It had lasted all of two days.

Presents were exchanged and opened. AC liked having all of these relatives because he got a huge stack of presents to open. Finally it seemed there were no more presents, but Ben walked behind his desk and brought a guitar to Adam. He solemnly handed it to his son.

"I believe I owe you one of these. I'm truly sorry for the one I damaged."

The guitar was beautiful. It had mother of pearl up the neck and as a finger guard. The wood was a rich cherry color. Adam strummed the guitar and tuned it. Then he played some chords and it was clear that this guitar was special. Adam handed the guitar to Lyn to hold and then stood. He walked to his father and initiated a hug which as everyone watching knew was a rare event. Then the two men whispered to each other what they would have found nearly impossible to state in front of everyone.

"Thank you for the guitar. Pa, I love you."

"Adam, I love you son. Christmas was never the same after you left."

The newly expanded family spent the next few hours singing Christmas carols. Lyn, Laurie, and Alice had wonderful singing voices and sang in tune beautifully which helped muffle Hoss' and Joe's enthusiastic but frequently dissonant contributions. Ben provided the low bass sound. AC brought tears to most eyes when he sang Silent Night as his father accompanied him on guitar. The melody had originally been written to be played on guitar, and the simple pairing made the song all the more beautiful and uplifting. The Cartwrights, father and sons, were together again at last for a Christmas celebration.

 

Chapter 10

Spring was an exciting time normally on a cattle ranch as herds were checked to see how well they had survived the winter and how well the calving was going. Mustangs were gathered to be broken for ranch work and for sale. Fence lines were checked for damage and line cabins had to be restocked and repaired as needed. This year though was an especially joyous year on the Ponderosa as preparations were made for Joe and Alice's wedding. There was a little bump in the road when Hoss was forced to tell his family that Laurie was already expecting a child. Ben had their minister out to the house for a quick and quiet wedding with only her immediate family and the Cartwrights in attendance. Laurie moved into the big house. There would be a formal celebration of their wedding as planned in the summer. Joe enjoyed jibing his brothers.

"Who would have thought I would be the one to uphold the family honor?"

Adam sat quietly feigning disinterest in the comment but Hoss was puzzled.

"What do you mean, Joe?"

"Well, you had to hurry up and get married, but Adam didn't even do that."

Adam raised an eyebrow at that although he was sure he knew where Joe was going with this one.

"Hoss, all you have to do is look at their anniversary date and AC's birthday. Unless he was five months old when he was born, he was already on his way when they got married."

"Joe!"

Alice was embarrassed that Joe would talk that way, but Lyn laughed.

"Well, luv, you said he would talk it up sooner or later. You can collect on that wager later."

"Hey, what do you mean?"

"Adam bet me that you would be sure to notice and wait for just the right time to try to embarrass him with that information. He does seem to know you rather well."

Joe shook his head. Adam did always seem to find a way to turn a situation back at Joe.

Alice Harper was thrilled to have two sister-in-laws to help plan the wedding. Her brother had left town running away from gambling debts he incurred after spending all the money the two of them had, and she had no other family in the area. Ben and Adam assured here there was no problem in finances and that whatever was needed for the wedding would be purchased. Lyn and Laurie had taken Alice into town soon after Christmas to have a fitting for a wedding dress. Unknown to Alice who ordered the simplest gown in the shop as she tried to be frugal, Lyn had ordered a number of embellishments to be added to the dress and veil. With a little encouragement, Adam advised Joe on what the appropriate jewelry gift to wear with the dress would be. Adam said he would take care of the ordering but Joe would have to pay for it because it needed to be a gift from the groom.

In the evening before the wedding, Joe asked Alice to walk outside with him. He carried a plain paper bag with him and Alice wondered what could possibly be inside it. He walked with her until they reached the garden behind the house.

"Tomorrow, you will be my wife. I wanted to give you something that you will have forever in addition to my heart. You need something borrowed, something blue, something old, and something new. I have two boxes here that I want you to open tomorrow when you are getting dressed. It will take care of the blue and the new."

"Joe, I didn't get you anything!

"You have given me everything. I never imagined I could love someone as much as I love you. My brothers used to tease me unmercifully about falling in love with the woman of the month. I know now that they were right. It was infatuation and not love. With you, I see forever. I see us moving along in life sharing everything and loving each other always. You are the greatest gift a man could ever have: a woman to love who will stand by my side no matter what."

Joe kissed his fiancée with all the care and tenderness he could find. He wanted to be passionate, but knew that he would have trouble stopping if he did. In one day, he would no longer have to hold back. He would be married. Alice rested her head on his shoulder as Joe wrapped his arms around her. They heard Hoss calling Joe's name and knew he was anxious to head to town. As best man, Hoss had arranged a dinner for the bachelor party and wanted to get going. They both chuckled and headed back to the house. Alice was going to have a pampering party with Lyn and Laurie at Lyn's home. The three ladies would spend the night there and help Alice dress for the wedding in the morning. Ben and Hop Sing would watch over AC and Beth until Adam retrieved them later.

As Joe walked Alice into the house, Ben asked Alice if she had a moment. He handed her a box.

"Joe said he took care of something blue and something new. This belonged to Joe's mother and now it belongs to you. It takes care of the something old."

Alice was going to open it, but Ben said no quickly and looked a little embarrassed. Now she really wondered what was in the small box. She took all three of her boxes, and a valise she had packed and headed outside where Laurie was waiting in the surrey. Hoss and Joe escorted them to Lyn's house. Adam was heading to the ranch house to drop off AC and Beth and said he would join them in town shortly.

For the Cartwright brothers, this was one of the most sedate nights they had ever had in a saloon on a Friday night. Jamie was happy to be along but all three brothers watched over him so carefully he felt like he was in school. Candy and Griff however made up for the others and were getting very happy by the time Adam took his leave. The plan was for him to get Jamie home and pick up his two children. The other four partied on until almost midnight and then Joe insisted he needed to get going. There were lots of jibes thrown his way about why he wanted to be in good shape the next day. All Joe could do was grin: it was all true.

 

Chapter 11

The next morning, Adam got up early to tend to the children which was his assigned task for the early morning. Lyn was still sleeping and he couldn't resist and trailed his hand from her neck along her arm and over her hip down to her knee.

"Keep doing that and you're going to owe me tonight."

"It is a debt I will most gladly repay. Perhaps I could borrow a little more on my assets?"

Adam moved to put his hand elsewhere and Lyn playfully slapped it away.

"You are insatiable, but I love you anyway."

"Who's kidding whom this morning? That's why you love me, and don't try to deny it."

Adam stood to leave and then raced for the door as a pillow was thrown his way. He laughed as he left the room and headed down the hallway to retrieve Beth and AC. He brought Beth back for nursing and asked if he could stay and watch which got another pillow thrown his way. He and AC walked down the stairs as AC tried to determine why his mother had thrown a pillow at his father.

After Beth was fed, Adam heard Lyn call from the top of the stairs and he got his daughter.

Upstairs then the three ladies started to dress for the wedding. When Alice opened the box that she thought her dress was in, she was dismayed.

"Oh no, it's the wrong dress. This isn't my dress!"

"Yes, dear, it is. We just had a few things added."

The plain dress that Alice had chosen now was decorated with pearls and pearl buttons and with some lace as well. Alice slipped it on and fairly glowed in the dress that was radiant with the sun pouring in the bedroom window. Tears were running down her face so Laurie handed her a beautiful silk handkerchief that was embroidered with all sorts of Chinese dragons.

"Hop Sing gave me that for long life. Now you have something borrowed. There's a little pocket sewn into the waist of your dress where you can slip that in."

Alice remembered the boxes then. She opened the one from Ben first because her curiosity had been aroused so much by his seeming embarrassment. It was a garter.

"Ben gave you that!?"

"He said it belonged to Joe's mother and now it was mine."

All three ladies chuckled and Laurie helped her slip the garter on her leg. Then they slipped another garter on her other leg for Joe to remove later and toss to the men at the wedding. Then Alice opened the two boxes that Joe had given her. One was a set of earrings and the other was a necklace. Alice looked in shock at Lyn because she suspected that she must have had something to do with it. Lyn just shook her head. It was the first she had seen them. The ladies helped Alice put on the necklace and the earrings. Then they fixed her veil.

"Now comes the hard part, love. You have to wait until we dress and Adam dresses and then we'll drive over."

Alice put her hands to her mouth and sighed deeply. The ladies smiled and quickly dressed. Lyn then went downstairs to watch over the two children so Adam could dress which didn't take long. She had her own deep sigh as he walked down the stairs. She was never used to how handsome he could look and when he grinned at her, her knees got a little weak. He knew exactly what she was thinking and waggled his eyebrows at her.

"You're really going to pay tonight, mister!"

"I'm looking forward to it."

"That was some fine jewelry Joe gave to Alice. How much did you charge him?"

"He got the full family discount so it was only five hundred."

"How much was the discount?"

"He paid about one fourth of the retail price. I have connections though."

Lyn's eyes got very big at that.

"Does he have any idea how much the jewelry is worth then?"

"I doubt it. I told him to keep it in a safe when she's not wearing it, although many people here probably don't know the value of fire opals."

Alice came down the steps then. The dress and the jewelry made her look like royalty.

"My brother is a very lucky man. May I escort you to your carriage, milady?"

Adam was driving Alice to the wedding. Jamie waited outside in a carriage to drive Laurie, Lyn, and the children there. Adam helped Alice into the surrey that was decorated with blue and white ribbons that Lyn and Adam had attached late last night after the children were in bed. Adam could see that Alice was on the verge of tears so he started telling tales of Joe as a child and as a teenager. Soon Alice was laughing and relaxing. When they arrived at the ranch house for the wedding, Adam helped her down and she thanked him for making her relax. By then the ladies were there and whisked her into the house and into the guest bedroom for last minute touchups.

"Pa, did John make it?"

"No, Adam, and I didn't expect him to. He's too afraid of Sloan. You weren't here when all the trouble started with Sloan and his gang, but they can be an intimidating group."

"Who's giving away the bride then?"

Lyn suddenly called to Adam from the house. Once inside, she told him that Alice was in tears. She had hoped so much that John would be there that she had not asked anyone else to give her away. Adam knew just the person. He told Lyn to assure Alice that she would be happy with his choice. Adam went outside to tell his father.

"Alice has someone to give her hand in marriage to Joe."

"Good, good. Who is it?"

Adam smiled and put his hand on his father's shoulder.

"You need to get inside. The bride is waiting for you."

 

Chapter 12

Once inside, as guests were arriving, Adam and AC went to the landing. Adam sat on the landing and AC stood at his side with his hand on his father's shoulder. Joe and Hoss moved to stand next to the minister. Adam nodded at AC and started to play as AC launched into Greensleeves. The bedroom door opened and Laurie emerged first to walk to the minister, and then Alice came out on Ben's arm. The rest of the wedding was a blur to both Alice and Joe. Despite all their nervousness, the wedding proceeded well. Then there was the reception and buffet dinner followed by dancing. At one point, Ben was dancing with the bride and Hoss was dancing with Lyn. Joe met Adam at the punch table.

"How much did that jewelry really cost? Joshua Greene from Maxims saw it and said it must have cost a fortune. Now five hundred is a lot but it's not a fortune. So how much?"

"Joe it doesn't matter. I have connections so I used them."

"But if I walked in a store and wanted to buy it, how much? Come on, you can tell me, I'm your brother."

Adam didn't want to say but Joe was like a mosquito when he wanted information buzzing constantly until you told him or smacked him. He didn't want to smack him so he told him. The music had ended and Alice was walking up behind Adam and heard his answer.

"Two thousand dollars! Oh my God."

Adam turned and had to steady her because it looked like she might faint. Lyn, Ben, and Hoss walked up at that point and Adam had to explain what happened. Ben had wondered what kind of wealth Adam had accumulated because he seemed not to worry about expenditures at all. This kind of thing made him realize that his son was likely wealthier than all of them combined. In the past that might have ignited a small flare of jealousy, but now it just made him proud to know how talented his son was in financial dealings. Ben slapped Adam on the back to let him know how proud he was that Adam would do this for his brother. Lyn assured both Joe and Alice that Adam only meant to make a gesture to show how happy he was that they were married and that it was something they could well afford. Adam just asked Joe to drop the subject and enjoy his wedding, and apologized if he had offended him in any way. Joe realized the sincerity of Adam's statements, slapped him on the back, and asked him if he had any more baubles he didn't need. The two brothers laughed then. All was well.

After the toasts and traditions were met, Joe wanted to take his leave with his bride. With his brothers' help, he had finished their home and wanted to go there to start his honeymoon. Hoss asked if he could please make his speech before they left.

"I'd like to thank everyone on behalf of the bride and groom for sharing their wedding day. It is a chance for friends and family to show the happy couple how much they mean to us and to express our good wishes for their future. It takes a strong and intelligent man to realize his dreams and achieve his goals in life and love. Joe is a man who is not afraid to live life to its fullest and embrace what is truly important. He discovered that Alice is the most important part of his life. So two people, Joe and Alice, have come together today to make a marriage that will surely last forever. Joe is lucky to have found such a beautiful and wonderful gal to share his life. Joe is my brother and best friend. I hafta say I'm honored that he chose me to be his best man on his most important day. I wish both of you peace and happiness in your new life together and may God bless your marriage, and have lots of grandchildren for Pa. We can't expect Adam, at his age, to provide them all."

Adam had helped Hoss with his speech but that last line was an ad-lib that caught him by surprise. There were laughs and he knew it was at his expense. But Hoss had done well and he told him that. He also said there was a wedding celebration coming up in summer and to expect payback. Hoss hadn't thought about that and got a worried look especially when he saw Adam's grin. He thought, 'Dadburnit, Joe told me to put in a little humor and suggested that line and now Adam has months to plan something really really painful for me'. Hoss would have to be worried until it happened.

 

Chapter 13

By May, Joe was very excited when he announced that he and Alice were expecting a baby that should arrive just after Christmas. So there would be a Cartwright baby in August, another in early October and then one in January. Ben was prouder than ever. It was something he had dreamed of but had begun to wonder over the years if it would ever happen. Suddenly in less than a year's time, he had gained three daughters-in-law, found he had two grandchildren, and there were three more grandchildren on the way. It seemed that life was so good nothing could mar his happiness.

On the first day of June, Hoss asked Joe and Adam to ride with him to do a survey of the pastures. He thought that they could make some changes so they could increase the size of the herd. Adam met the two of them in the south pasture but said he needed to deliver some things to Alice that Lyn had sent with him.

"Well I wondered what was in your saddlebags because it looked like you had Hoss' lunch stuffed in there instead of your own."

"I have no idea what is in those packages and I don't want to know. When your wife packs some things up in brown paper and says to hand them to your brother's wife, you don't ask any questions. I should be with you in less than a half hour."

Adam rode to Joe's house. Joe had wanted a more rustic home and it was set in the trees more than Adam's house so he didn't see anything wrong until he got there. He saw a man hitting Alice and another holding a gun on another man who was calling out to Alice that she had to give them some money. Adam raced in and dismounted with his gun in his hand. The man on horseback holding his weapon on the other man turned and fired, and Adam shot him out of the saddle. The man who had been yelling at Alice then rushed toward her blocking Adam's view of Alice. The man beating Alice dropped her to the ground and fired at the man running toward him and killed him. Then he quickly grabbed Alice and held a gun to her head.

"Drop that gun or I kill her right now."

"You're not going to kill her because you know I'll put a bullet in your head the moment you fire."

It was a classic standoff until the man started moving back toward Joe's cabin. Adam could not let him take her inside. He fired hitting the man in the foot which caused him to fall but he took Alice down with him and quickly put the gun to her head again. He stood again pulling an unconscious Alice up with him. They were back to the standoff. With his injured foot he would not likely be able to climb the steps to the porch of the home, but he still refused to let her go. Joe and Hoss had heard the gunfire and were racing to the house. As they neared the house, the man holding Alice gestured toward them with his gun.

"Tell them to stay ..."

But he never got to finish the statement. As he pulled the gun to gesture toward Joe and Hoss, Adam fired and the top of the man's head exploded. Joe and Hoss arrived and Joe vaulted out of the saddle and ran to Alice. Adam had reached her but she looked dead. It appeared she wasn't breathing. Joe pulled his gun and walked to the man Adam had shot off his horse because he had regained consciousness.

"Sloan, I'm going to blow your head off."

Hoss reached Joe just in time and deflected his arm as he fired. The bullet landed in the dirt by Sloan. Hoss took Joe's gun and stuck it in his belt.

"Joe, get over here. Alice is alive."

"Look! She's alive. Adam's trying to help her. Now get over there and see to your wife."

Looking at Sloan, Hoss held his gun pointed at Sloan's head. He walked over and took Sloan's pistol.

"If'n you'd like to give me a reason to shoot ya like trying to run away, well you just go ahead and do that. I wouldn't mind at all."

Sloan put his hands out flat on the ground and lay quietly.

"Joe, she's alive but she's hurt very badly. We need to get her inside and get the doctor."

Joe carefully lifted Alice and carried her inside. With Adam's help, he got her in the bed. Adam brought him some water, towels, and bandages.

"You stay with her. Hoss and I will go for help."

Outside, Adam asked Hoss who the two dead men were. It was hard to tell with the one but Hoss thought it was Sloan's hired thug, Hanley. He told Adam the other dead man was Alice's brother John.

"Tie that worthless piece of shit over there to his horse. My horse is faster than Chubb so I'll get him to town and send the doc back. Tie that bastard on tight enough so he doesn't fall off. I don't mind if he bleeds some. You go to the house and get Hop Sing and whoever else you can get to help here."

Doctor Martin got to the house well before Adam who had stopped off to tell Lyn what had happened. Hop Sing, Laurie, and Joe had done enough to stop all the external bleeding. Paul was worried about internal hemorrhaging and asked Joe to step outside while he examined Alice. Joe didn't want to go but his father and Hoss got him out of the room by explaining that his questions would only interfere with the doc as he worked. When Adam and Lyn arrived in their carriage, there was a somber group sitting in Joe's living room. There was no need to ask. The closed bedroom door let them know that Paul was still with his patient. Lyn and Adam had raided whatever their cook, Kim, had prepared already and set food on the dining table for sandwiches. Kim would care for their children until they returned.

Joe greeted Adam with a hug.

"Thank you for saving my wife."

Joe turned then and looked at Hoss.

"Thank you for stopping me from killing Sloan. Seeing him hang will be enough."

As the group waited, the time ticked away and they feared that the news could only be bad. Then Roy Coffee arrived with more bad news.

"Adam, Sloan already has met with his sleazy lawyer. They're gonna say you started this whole thing. It's gonna be your word against his. He's still got some of his hired muscle so you and your family are going to be in danger until he's tried and hanged."

Adam and Lyn looked terrified and jumped up to head home.

"Now don't you worry too much. I already sent some deputies to your house. You two shouldn't go anywhere alone. I assume that some of the Ponderosa hands can help you with that?"

Ben nodded, but Adam wanted to leave immediately. Candy said he'd get some men and they would escort them home. Adam gave Roy his statement. It wasn't complicated. Within an hour, Adam was at his home confronted by armed deputies who relaxed when they realized who it was. Adam asked one of the Ponderosa hands to take some messages to the telegraph office. Within two days, he expected to have professional help guarding his family. He had thought about doing it before because of the threat of kidnapping and regretted that he had not, but he was remedying that situation now.

Adam didn't sleep. Lyn woke in the night and when he wasn't next to her, she went looking. She found him standing in the darkened study staring out at the night.

"Worried about Alice and about Joe?"

"Yes. But I killed a man today. I did it without a second thought. I haven't killed anyone in over six years. The faces of men I have killed were finally fading. I thought I could come back here and avoid the violence. The violence didn't avoid me though."

Lyn wrapped her arms around Adam but he remained stiff and unyielding. He would have to come to terms with all of this. It would take some time. She asked him to sit and he did. She held his hand and leaned on his shoulder, and they sat that way until dawn. As it grew light, a familiar rider came up to the house. Candy knocked and waited at the front door. When Adam opened it, he looked as bad as all the rest of them. No one had slept that night.

"Doc says he thinks she's gonna make it. She's got a concussion, broken ribs, a broken left wrist and broken left arm, a small broken bone in her right leg, and lots of bad bruises. The baby may not make it though. She's bleeding a little there."

"She was bleeding a little before this happened. I sent some cloth pads over to her house. She was going to talk to Paul about it soon."

"So maybe it's not because of the beating?"

"Yes, please tell Paul."

At Candy's pained expression, Lyn told him to wait. She went into the study and wrote down all that she could remember about what Alice had told her. Then she walked out with the folded paper and asked Candy to give that to Paul. He looked very relieved at that. After Candy left, Adam insisted that Lyn go back to bed. He said he would sleep later when she got up. As he waited, he sketched out a design for a bunkhouse to match the style of his home and stable. There would soon be men working for him, and they would need a place to stay.

Alice recovered and the baby was all right. Paul assured her that a small amount of bleeding early in a pregnancy could be normal even as long as three months in. Joe had John buried in a grove of trees not far from their house but out of view if you didn't want to see it. Alice could decide when she was well how much she wanted to visit her brother's gravesite. Lyn and the rest of the family worried about Adam and Alice until Sloan was convicted and hanged. Sloan had counted on Alice dying so that it would be his word against Adam's. Once Alice, still showing the remnants of bruising on her face and neck and with her arm in a sling, limped to the stand and testified, the jury had no problem in returning a guilty verdict. Within a month, Alice was feeling better too and Adam was able to smile again. Attention turned to the upcoming celebration of Hoss' wedding.

 

Chapter 14

Adam hired two of the men permanently from those sent by the Pinkerton Agency. They would do light ranch work but would not leave the vicinity of Adam's home unless accompanying Lyn to town or to another home or ranch. If Adam was with them at a location, they were free to go until the family intended to leave. Otherwise they stayed and kept watch. Adam hated having to do this but the violence at Joe's home and his wealth made him worry about what someone might try to do to his family. Lyn suggested they get some dogs too because in Australia, they had several dogs, and they always put up a fuss when a stranger came to their home. Adam also told Joe that his two employees could do some training of horses once Joe had them green broke. So a bunkhouse, several large corrals, and two additions to either end of Adam's home kept the place a scene of bustling activity.

When the dogs Adam had ordered arrived, Lyn was not so sure that she wanted them around the children. They were three German Shepherds and looked fierce. The trainer arrived with them and introduced them to Adam and then to Lyn and finally to the children. Each member of the family was sniffed by each dog. The trainer gave a command in German and all three dogs dropped to the ground watching their trainer. The trainer whispered a word to Adam and when he said it all three dogs stood and walked to him waiting for his next command. The trainer supplied it and when Adam told them to, they took a defensive position around the family. With one more word, the dogs relaxed.

Odin, Mannheim, and Thor were part of the family.

The trainer took out three leather wrapped sticks and threw them. The dogs chased after them and brought them back. He explained that it was their favorite game and could be used as a reward or to help them bond with the family. AC was excited to try. He took all three sticks and wasn't able to throw them very far but was delighted when the dogs retrieved them at the trainer's command and brought the sticks back to him. The trainer told him to pet each dog then and praise it.

Soon the entire family was having fun with the dogs. The trainer explained that their appearance that so resembled a wolf was part of the protection as some would stay away just seeing those dogs. They would be fiercely protective of their family and suspicious of all strangers. Each friend or family member would need to be introduced to the dogs just as they had been. These dogs had a tremendous sense of smell and would never forget the smell of a friend or family member.

There were only about a dozen command words and all members of the family or anyone living on the property were to learn them. They were German words so it was highly unlikely that a stranger could command these dogs to do anything even if he could get close to them with his strange smell. Pass auf was the most important because it meant to guard or alert. The others were more basic such as setzen to sit, platz for down, bleib for stay, hier for come, nein for no, and fuss (foos) for heel. Several more commands that the trainer suggested Adam and Lyn learn to practice with the dogs were voran for search and such (su-kh) for track. With children around, that might be good to know. The one they were most likely to use daily was apport for fetch. The trainer handed over a document with those and a few other commands and the pedigree of the dogs. The three were brothers. Then with payment in hand, the trainer left.

"A-pro." And AC threw the sticks and the dogs retrieved them. Apparently they understood how a five year old could talk. Adam spent some time trying to get AC to say apport but made no progress. As he and AC were working with the dogs, Joe and some hands arrived with some horses.

"Kinda strange looking to see my brother and nephew playing with wolves!"

Adam commanded the dogs with 'bleib'.

"German Shepherds, but your reaction is what we're hoping any intruder will think. They are probably as deadly as wolves to any one they don't like."

Joe and the others were looking a little nervous, but Adam introduced all of them to his dogs. Adam told Joe the commands. Seeing the riders and horses come in, Adam's hired men rode in to join the group and put the horses in the corrals. They were taught the commands as well and introduced to the dogs. All of the men enjoyed playing the fetch game with the dogs who appeared to be having a great time in their new home.

"Adam, how much did these dogs cost? I mean could I afford a couple of them? I would feel a lot better if Alice had some dogs like these with her."

"Affordable. The trainer wouldn't have to come with them this time, and I think there is a place near Sacramento training dogs like this. I'll look into it and let you know the details when I have them."

Immediately, Joe began planning.

"And if I get a couple of females, we could breed them and start selling dogs like this as another source of income for the Ponderosa. We could even create our own breed. Hey, Adam, what do you think?"

"Joe, I will never get involved in another of your schemes. You'll have to look for another partner. And don't bother Hoss with it. He's got enough on his plate with that baby due soon."

Joe shrugged. He had a lot to do too so he would wait.

Over the next few weeks, the dogs met a lot of people. It was amazing though that when anyone new arrived, the dogs immediately alerted and waited for a command. At night, all three dogs came inside and slept on the rug in front of the fireplace. They waited patiently there in the morning for someone to let them outside. During the day, they romped outside roaming the property or lying on the porch. Adam and Lyn were finally able to relax a bit. They felt safe in their home again.

Hoss came over to see the dogs after Joe told him.

"Hey, Adam, I really like the looks of these dogs. Do you think you could let me breed them with my hounds? We could get some real nice dogs for the ranch that way."

"That should work. Let me know when one of your hounds is in heat, and we can get Odin, Mannheim, or Thor over there to cover her."

"Now where did they get names like that anyway?"

"Those are names of Scandinavian gods. There's a long list of them."

"Well, my ma was from there, right. I mean Sweden is part of that Scandinavia thing, ain't it? Could you get me a list of some of those names? Won't be too long before one of my hounds has a litter and I can name the pups."

Adam agreed to do that. Hoss' ma was still a strong connection between the two of them. Anything to keep her memory alive was a good thing. In fact, everything seemed to be going smoothly. A pessimistic person would predict that something just had to go wrong, and just days before the wedding celebration, it did.

 

Chapter 15

Heavy rains started falling in the Sierras and then storms moved out all over the Washoe region. Streams overflowed and bridges were washed out. The one bridge essential to travel to Virginia City was on the Ponderosa border and was also in danger of washout. If it washed out, there would be no big wedding celebration because guests would be unable to get there. Adam, Hoss, and Joe went there with Candy and other hands to try to figure out ways to reinforce the bridge. One thing they could do was bring some boulders to place in front of the bridge supports to take the brunt of the water's force. Adam also thought they could sink some timbers further back and connect chains to the main bridge to give it more stability. Adam took off his boots and shirt so he could wade into the water near the supports to see if it was feasible to get a chain around them. Joe tied a rope to his saddle horn and Adam secured it around his waist.

"Take it easy out there. I don't want to have to haul you in like a drowned rat."

"Well, gee, thanks so very much for your concern."

Candy and Hoss sat on horses next to Joe. Joe and Hoss were surprised at how muscular Adam looked. They had kind of assumed that all the deskwork and such would have made him soft, but instead he looked as strong as ever. After working his way to the support, Adam slipped into the water and dropped underwater to see if he could get a chain around that post. He soon came up sputtering. He nodded yes at the men and moved to climb out but slipped on the bank and fell backwards into the strong current. Joe immediately began backing Cochise up, and Hoss jumped off his horse to go to his brother's aid.

"Hoss, stay here. Hoss, I'll pull him in. Stay back!"

"Hoss, let Joe pull him in. Get back here."

As Adam came up the bank coughing, Hoss stepped forward to grab him. The bank gave way and both Hoss and Adam fell back in the water but Adam didn't fall far because of the taut rope. Joe pulled him out again as he looked in panic for Hoss to appear. Candy pulled off his boots and dove in to search for Hoss. He pulled him up but the current caught both of them and spun them downstream. Adam tore the rope off his waist and ran down the side of the stream. Candy grabbed hold of an overhanging branch but couldn't hold Hoss with one hand and the big man was washed away from him. Candy was exhausted and couldn't try again, and he just managed to hang on himself until one of the men threw a rope to him.

Hoss was managing to stay afloat and breathing but was unable to control his passage as the swift current pushed him faster and faster. He grabbed onto a boulder as he was slammed into it feet first, but it was too round and slippery and even with his great strength, he was pulled away from it. The time he was there though allowed those pursuing him to get close again. Adam dove in, and swimming with the current was able to grab Hoss but the two of them continued to be washed down the stream by the unyielding current. Adam managed to get Hoss to roll so he was on his back again as they were propelled along and the two of them could breathe. Luckily Hoss was not the type of man to panic or the two of them would have been doomed. Adam kept surveying what he could see of the area ahead. Seeing that the roots of a tree had been exposed by the floodwaters he started doing what he could to direct them that way. As they neared that spot, he jerked the two of them to the side and grabbed an exposed tree root. Hoss was conscious but coughing.

"Grab my belt, Hoss, grab my belt. Hoss, I can't hold you with one arm, grab my belt."

Finally, Hoss understood and grabbed Adam's belt with both of his hands. Adam then swung his body around to use both arms to hold on. He was facing upstream and swallowed a lot of dirty water as he tried to breathe. Some of the men and Joe got there. With a rope around his waist, Joe waded in to grab Hoss, and by then Candy had arrived and pulled them to safety with the help of the other men.

Then Joe went back in to get Adam but before he could get to him, a log tumbling with the current hit one of Adam's arms and he lost his grip to be swept away in the current again. Only by then he was so weakened that he was unable to grab hold of anything. Joe and Candy raced to their horses and rode along the raging torrent until they got to an area where it was wider and the current shoved Adam to one side. Candy let loose with his lasso and it dropped over one of Adam's arms and around his neck. It wasn't an optimum way to pull him in but it was the only way they had. Joe tied his rope around his waist and secured it to Cochise's saddle so he could wade into the water to grab his brother and pull him to safety. Once they had him on dry ground well away from the water, they laid him down. Adam started coughing and Joe held his shoulders but Adam tried to force his way up.

"Joe, let him up. He needs to cough out that water."

As soon as Joe released him, Adam crawled up on all fours and started coughing and then vomiting brown water. Hoss and the others had arrived at the spot by then. Hoss looked at Adam with concern even as he coughed some himself. Hoss had swallowed a little water but mostly had been on his back breathing air. Joe sent one of the men to get the buckboard they had brought, and they placed Adam in back. Adam continued a hacking cough and brought up small amounts of dirty liquid periodically as they drove to his home. The bridge held, but the wedding celebration was postponed as Adam spent the next week fighting for his life.

 

Chapter 16

For almost a week, Adam was unconscious or semiconscious and never able to talk with anyone. His fever rose and stayed high for days despite their best efforts to keep him cooled. Doctor Martin said it was his body fighting the infection and there was little they could do. His body would win or not. When Ben heard him say that, he almost lost consciousness himself. He couldn't lose him after finding him again. Members of the family took turns sitting with him around the clock with often two of them there. They kept him as upright as possible to help him breathe. They cooled his body with cool damp cloths. Lyn and the other ladies would spoon small amounts of broth or water into his mouth when they thought he might be able to swallow. Sometimes he did and sometimes the liquid ran down his chin from his slack lips.

Lyn talked to Adam almost constantly throughout her frequent stays in their bedroom. She slept by his side when she could but her pregnancy was advanced now, and sometimes she had to rest elsewhere to diminish the pain in her back. Ben and the others worried about her pregnancy with the stress and the lack of sleep. Paul talked to her about what she needed to do to make sure she and the 'baby' stayed healthy. Ben wondered at the way Paul would say 'baby' in that exaggerated way, but then would forget about it as he listened to Adam's labored breathing. Lyn's sisters-in-law were a godsend and took over much of the care of AC and Beth.

AC was unrelenting in his requests to sit with his father. Finally, Lyn allowed him in. He deserved the right to see his father one last time because it was looking like Adam might not make it.

"Papa, you gotta get better. You promised to take me riding. I need you, Papa. Nobody can do what you do. Mama can't have her baby if you're not here. Papa, please talk to me."

Lyn began to sob silently as her son begged his father to live. Hoss wrapped his arms around her as his own tears flowed. Ben walked in with Doc Martin as AC began to sing. Paul watched his patient and placed his hand on AC's shoulder.

"You keep singing son. It's the best medicine for your father right now."

The four adults listened as AC sang his heart out to his father. He reached over and touched Adam's hand as he sang almost willing him to react. After a time, Paul motioned for Hoss to bring Lyn over to the bed.

"Talk to Adam now. He seems possibly to be focusing on AC's singing. His breathing is more regular than it has been all week. The singing seems to be helping."

Lyn sat on the opposite side of Adam from AC who kept singing in an almost desperate attempt to get his father to wake. Lyn leaned down and began quietly begging Adam to open his eyes and come back to them. Adam's eyelids fluttered and AC stopped singing and held his breath.

"Sing, AC, sing. You're bringing him back to us, son. Sing."

AC began singing Greensleeves, the song his father had taught him for Joe's wedding. Adam fluttered his eyelids and slowly opened his eyes to look at his son. AC grinned and kept on singing. Lyn bent down and kissed her husband's cheek, and Adam turned his head a little to look at her.

"Welcome back, luv. Don't you ever scare us like that again."

Hoss turned away as his eyes flooded with tears. He would never have been able to forgive himself if his foolish action had caused his brother's death. It was one time when he was very grateful that his brother was so stubborn. He walked downstairs to tell everyone the good news. Paul closed the bedroom door. No more visitors for the time being. Ben stood silently thanking God that his son would live.

"Adam, don't try to talk. Concentrate on breathing with a regular rhythm. We'll ask questions. Yes is one eye blink and No is two eye blinks. Do you understand?"

Adam blinked once. Paul and Lyn smiled. He was going to recover, and his mind apparently was not affected. Lyn asked if he wanted a drink of water and he blinked once. Ben and Paul helped shift him more upright and Lyn spooned cool water into his mouth until he refused to open his lips for more.

"AC, you can stop singing and come hold your father's hand now. You brought him back to us, son. I am so very proud of you."

AC held Adam's hand and then climbed on the bed and leaned into the pillows next to him still holding his hand. It would be hours before he could be coaxed from there and only then because Paul said they needed to clean Adam up a bit. Lyn and Hoss washed Adam with warm cloths after removing his nightshirt. They pulled clean drawers on him but when they tried to put another nightshirt on him, he shook his head no. Then Hoss lifted Adam from the bed and placed him in the rocking chair so the bed linens could be changed, and then carried him back to the bed and covered him with a clean sheet and blanket.

"Adam ain't never liked no nightshirts. Always said they stuck to him and rode up. Reminded him too much of a dress too."

"Oh, struth. I bought him those nightshirts he has because when we married I thought he simply did not have any only to find out that was by design."

They heard an 'hmmpf' from the bed and looked to see Adam scowling at them.

"Well you must be feeling better if you can be grumpy already. How about a little smile to thank Hoss for helping me clean you up so you don't smell like a sheep pen when you have visitors?"

Adam managed a small smile. He hated being a patient and was already showing the dissatisfaction. Lyn sat next to him and helped him drink another cup of water. They were getting fluids in him as fast as they could. Paul had warned them that the only danger he still faced was his dehydration.

"He ain't never been a patient patient either!"

"Oh, struth, I met him as a patient so I know it. He was toey as soon as that fever broke. He walked like a grog besotted galah but we couldn't keep him in the bed."

That got another 'hmmmf' from the patient but with less of a scowl. Adam knew he needed to try to behave himself with those who cared so much for him. Hoss on the other hand stood with a confused expression. Lyn had tried to weed the Australian slang out of her vocabulary but when she was relaxed like this, she often reverted to common phrases. Seeing his confusion, she explained by rephrasing.

Oh, it's the truth. He was restless to get out of bed as soon as he could. When he did, he walked like a drunken fool."

Hoss nodded. That sounded like his brother. Hoss spent a lot of time helping Lyn with Adam over the next week. One day as they sat in the bedroom as Adam slept, Hoss and Lyn talked quietly. Hoss asked her about what Joe had brought up about AC being born only five months after their wedding.

"Did it bother ya much that Joe brought up AC's birthday being so soon after your wedding?"

"No, Hoss, I expected some people to notice. Adam assured me that Joe would be the first. But when I met Adam and fell in love with him, he had a wounded heart. That Laura and your cousin Will really made him not trust the love of a woman. I knew he loved me, but he wasn't sure that I loved him, at least not enough."

"Weren't ya kinda worried then when you was gonna have a baby? I mean, I woulda expected Adam to ask ya to marry him then."

"He did and I said no. I said if he never married me, I would accept that because I wanted him to marry me when he was sure I loved him and not because we had a baby. I knew he would stay with me because he loved me. I knew that a man with a heart so big would love our child. Our child would have two parents. Being married or not was not the biggest issue."

"The next time he asked me, I asked him if he believed that I loved him. He said yes and that was why he was asking, so I said yes and we got married the next day. My parents lived near the docks and my papa shipped freight in and out of the harbor. That's why I talk the way I do sometimes."

They heard a loud snort from the bed then. Adam had awakened, and he was laughing. He had heard that last part, and in his experience he had found that her slang was certainly colorful on occasion.

"Well, anyway, we had lots and lots of people we knew who would want to celebrate with us. We had lots of friends there and had a grand party."

"I'm really glad Adam found you. Not many women could put up with him."

That got another hmmmpf from the bed, and both Hoss and Lyn started laughing.

It would take nearly two months before Adam felt as good as he did before the pneumonia, but only a week before he declared himself well enough to get out of bed and get dressed. He was so weak that he couldn't manage the stairs by himself for nearly a week after that, but his brothers brought a small table upstairs so he was able to work a few hours a day at least and eat his meals sitting up. With books that Lyn brought up from his study, his guitar, and frequent visits from his children, the time passed better for him than it ever had when he was sick or injured.

 

Chapter 17

Once Adam was feeling better, plans for Hoss' wedding celebration kicked back into full gear. They had a big party at the Ponderosa main house two weeks after Adam was able to get out of bed. Adam had to sit for most of the celebration, but Hoss had waited until the brother who had saved his life could be there. Adam got several kisses on his cheeks from Laurie as she thanked him again and again for what he had done. Hoss got tears in his eyes with the gift they received from Adam and Lyn. Not wanting to incite another incident, Adam presented them with an opal necklace for Laurie and a matching string tie for Hoss. The gifts were simple but elegant which meant that Hoss and Laurie would actually wear them at least on formal occasions. Ben accepted congratulations from all on the marriage of Hoss to Laurie but also the impending births of three grandchildren on the Ponderosa over the next several months.

Hoss and Laurie continued to live in the big house as Ben took up residence in the downstairs bedroom which was convenient for him. Jamie took the first bedroom at the top of the stairs. The rest of the second floor became a private area for Hoss and his wife unless there were guests on the Ponderosa. They began to convert the bedroom next to theirs, which had been Adam's, into a nursery. Candy moved into one of the rooms that had been added to the bunkhouse, but he had found a steady gal and probably would be marrying soon too. Joe offered his cottage for Candy to use if he got married and that brought a big grin to the foreman's face.

As soon as Adam could, he started working in the forge at his home. The work could proceed at any pace and the hammering allowed him to rebuild his strength. He could stop whenever he was tired and resume whenever he wished. Several of the first items he had made before his bout with a lung infection were weight bars and heavy round weights as well as a pair of dumbbells. He was working on making some light round weights too but they weren't done yet. He and the two men working for him began using the spare room in the stable as a workout room. All three had lived in cities where gyms were becoming regular features for men, and they liked the opportunity to work together. The heavy weight bar, the dumbbells, and pull-up bars gave them enough to do for now. Adam had ordered a punching bag, a speed bag, and some gloves and hoped to have those soon. He had put a small stove in the room so that they could raise the temperature to a reasonable level quickly once winter arrived. This had been the plan he had for that room when he designed the stable but had not thought he would be outfitting it so soon.

Adam was working out by himself one morning when Hoss and Ben stopped by. They heard grunts and other sounds including a few words Ben thought were unacceptable so they went to see what was happening. What they saw was a surprise. Adam, shirtless and sweating, was trying to lift a bar with large round weights above his head and failing. Hence, there was grunting and complaining.

"Dadburnit, Adam, what are you trying to do?"

Adam was startled.

"I'm trying to do some weightlifting and my arms are not cooperating."

"Why don't you try lifting less?"

"Because I used to lift this weight, and I haven't made any smaller ones yet."

"How much do those weights weigh?"  
"Each one is seventy-five pounds."

"Well, I bet I can lift that easy."

Hoss did lift the weight over his head but then dropped it in front of him.

"Did I mention that the bar is fifty pounds? And five pounds each for the nuts holding the weights in place. So that's two hundred twenty pounds total."

"Well I'm glad you did now cause I was getting worried that I was losing my strength."

The brothers laughed, and Ben, who had been quiet to that point, asked why he was doing this. He explained his fitness plan to recover from his bed rest, and what else he planned to add to this room. He showed them the bars suspended from the ceiling for pull-ups and for other exercises. Hoss was most interested in the punching bag.

"Hey, Adam, I wouldn't mind working out with those punchin bags when you get em."

"They should be here within the month. You can help me find sand to fill them. Then we'll hang them in here, and you can use this room whenever you want. I'm looking forward to having it this winter."

"Son, I did wonder when you built this stable why there were two tackrooms, but there weren't because you had another purpose in mind for this one. So working out like this is how you stayed strong over the years while you were working behind a desk. And that strength is how you were able to save Hoss. That alone tells me you have a great idea here. It makes the expense worth it."

"It's not bad at keeping those extra pounds off too."

Adam grabbed a towel and wiped down before donning his shirt. He asked what had brought them there that morning, and Hoss said he would like Adam to create a second floor washroom like he had in his own home, and Ben added that he would like a water closet added to the downstairs washroom if that was possible.

"It will be so nice when the baby comes, and then this winter for all of us.

Adam agreed he would work on some plans for doing that and explained what kind of materials they would need and that some items would need to be ordered. He told them the washroom could be finished in a short time, but the water closet project would depend on the availability of the items needed.

 

Chapter 18

The three men walked to the house and were almost there when the dogs went on alert on the porch and started barking. Adam raced to the house then and once inside, saw Lyn on the floor with a white faced AC standing next to her holding Beth's hand.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

"No but I think you need to send for the doctor anyway. The contraction I had was big as a boomer. Gobsmacked me, and I feel like I could chunder right now. Kinda wish you'd been using a franger about nine months ago."

Ben and Hoss had no idea what Lyn was really talking about, but that last part made Adam blush a little even under these circumstances so they could guess. Adam turned to them and asked if one of them could get the doctor. Ben volunteered as Hoss went to make sure the children were all right and Adam lifted Lyn to carry her to their bedroom. He got about ten steps and asked Hoss for help. Once upstairs, Adam was able to take care of her as she loudly asked that Hoss not see her nuddy. Hoss figured that one out right away and quickly left the room to see to his original task.

Kim was alerted and began boiling water and gathered lots of extra towels. Once upstairs, he instructed Adam to spread a number of the towels under Lyn's hips. The Kim set clean sheets and blankets on a chair before returning to the kitchen. Lyn was in a gown and leaning back on pillows suffering contractions that were getting alarmingly close together. When Adam heard people arriving he breathed an audible sigh of relief. Doctor Martin was soon in the room and had brought his assistant and his wife to help. He told Adam to go downstairs and reassure his other two children.

Once downstairs, Adam ended up with both children on his lap. They sat with their heads together for quite a while as Adam reassured them that their mother was having the baby and was not sick despite what AC had heard. Kim was able to convince Beth that she needed to nap and offered her the chance to take her nap in his room next to the kitchen. The novelty of the offer was more than she could resist and she took his hand. Adam nodded gratefully to the young man. This would ensure that if there were screams and yelling, Beth would not hear them. He remembered vividly some of the things Lyn had yelled during her last two deliveries. He hoped that she stuck to her native slang because only he would actually know what she was saying.

Soon, Joe and Alice, Hop Sing, and Laurie arrived. Hop Sing immediately went upstairs to help. Alice and Laurie went into the kitchen to help Kim. Hoss could see that Adam wanted to talk but couldn't with AC there so he offered to give AC a ride on Chubb if it was all right with his father. Adam had a smile for that but it didn't reach his eyes. He was very worried. Once AC was outside, Ben asked why he was so worried.

"I was scared when AC was born but Lyn was so strong and healthy the doctor assured me there was little cause for concern. When Beth was born, I was worried but not as much because of how well the first one went. But this time is different, and I'm terrified."

"Son, why, what's different this time?"

"She's having twins. And the contractions were much worse suddenly than what she had the other two times. I could see the fear in her eyes when I came in the house. Doctor Martin said there is a greater risk with twins."

Adam dropped his head into his hands, as Joe stood by him and put a hand on his shoulder. There really wasn't much they could do except wait. Laurie and Alice brought out some sandwiches and cookies with coffee, but no one had an appetite except for Hoss and AC when they returned. The ladies took care of Beth, and AC came to sit at his father's side. Adam explained to him about twins and then the two sat holding hands and waiting. The only benefit of those violent early contractions was that the first baby was born relatively quickly. Everyone downstairs heard the crying and relaxed just a little, but then there was nothing more for many hours. Just after midnight, they heard a baby crying. There was no way downstairs to know if it was the first one or if the second had been born. Almost twenty minutes later, Doctor Martin came to the top of the stairs to ask Adam to come up, alone.

"The babies are fine and healthy. They are a bit small but not something to worry about."

"But what about Lyn?"

"It was very hard on her. She's exhausted. We need to get someone else here to nurse the babies if we can, at least for a few days. If that is acceptable with you, my assistant will go with one of your brothers to make the arrangements right now. Even though it is late, those babies are going to need to be fed soon especially the one born six hours ago, and Lyn just doesn't have the strength to do it now."

Adam nodded as he looked to his wife. She was a small woman, and now looked tiny in the large bed and so very pale especially with her dark hair dampened with the sweat from her ordeal.

"Sit with her. Reassure her that everything is going to be all right. She needs time but there is no reason to think she will not make a full recovery. But stay calm. She needs to rest."

All went well and by the third day, Lyn was able to sit up in bed and eat some solid food. Immediately she demanded that her babies be brought to her. Adam said the doctor was due soon and would make that decision which only made her pout. Adam reminded her to be a good patient and she went 'hmmmf' and scowled which did get both of them laughing. Adam brought Beth and AC in for a short visit until the doctor arrived. Doctor Martin agreed she could start nursing the babies but had to stay in bed for at least four more days, and then could get up but was not to do anything except care for herself and nurse the babies. Adam hired the girl who had been their sitter as a nanny. Her name was Aubrey and she had a dream of opening a bookstore in Virginia City. Lyn teased Adam that was the real reason he hired her. At sixteen she was too young to open a business, but she was bright and personable. After a few days of her helping, Lyn didn't know how she had taken care of the first two without help.

About the end of that first week, Ben rode over as he did every day to see how his son and the twins were doing. This time, Adam was sitting on the porch with a cup of coffee and three dogs at his feet. Ben relaxed because his oldest son would not be there unless things were much better. He walked up and Kim walked out with a cup of coffee for him. The young man reminded Ben of Hop Sing so much especially when he did things like that.

"Pa, can I ask you a very serious question?"

"You can, and I'll answer it if I can."

"Well, when I was worried about Lyn dying, I was torn inside. Did I pray for her to make it no matter what or did I pray that the babies would live no matter what? It was tearing me up."

"What did you decide?"

"I prayed for them all and for me too if it didn't go well. When I was born, whom did you pray for? Did you want my mother to live? Were you disappointed that she died so I could live?"

Ben paused and closed his eyes and frowned. Could he tell his son the truth even if it hurt? He decided he owed him that.

"At first I prayed for both of you. Then I prayed that Elizabeth would live no matter what. I had never been a father. I didn't know what it meant. When you were first born, I looked at you, so small and helpless, and wondered why God would do that to me. I sat at her side and mourned her as you lay in the cradle and cried. The midwife picked you up and handed you to me. I didn't want to hold you. I wanted Elizabeth to live. Then I held you, and I fell in love with you. I realized then that I had not lost Elizabeth because she lived in you. I saw her in you and I still do. As long as I had you, she was still with me. Does that make sense to you?"

Adam nodded and his father continued.

"That's what hurt me so much when you left and didn't return. If I lost you, then I really would have lost Elizabeth. You see, all three of my wives live in my sons. As long as the three of you live, then they are with me."

"Thank you for being honest. When I was younger and blamed myself for my mother's death, I always had the sense when you talked with me about it, that I wasn't hearing the truth. You were holding back what you thought would hurt me, weren't you?"

Ben nodded.

"I worried that you didn't really love me. I thought that perhaps you cared for me out of obligation. It felt good to hear you say you loved me since I was born. I understand now that I am a father and fell in love with each of my children as I held each one for the first time. But it's so frightening though to fear losing your wife. I can't imagine how you did that three times."

"That third time was almost too much. I think that's why I can never make it to the altar even though I would like the companionship of a wife. The fear of loss stops me from trying."

"That may be why all three of your sons waited to marry. I know I had that fear."

"One other thing about your mother I never told you. It was her dream to come out here and build among the tall trees. She wanted to travel, to see new things, to have new experiences. That same spirit has always been in you. She dreamed big dreams. She was so smart, so well read. I was a little jealous of her sometimes, just like I have sometimes been jealous of you."

Ben looked sheepishly at his son as Adam looked surprised.

"Is that why you seemed angry at me when I had new ideas I wanted to try or places I wanted to go?"

"Probably some of it. I feared losing you so much. I worried how I could deal with another loss. But I was envious of your talents, your intelligence; you could do so many things better than I could. Sometimes I thought you were trying to take my place."

"But you did many things better than I could. I just thought of us as being different like Joe and I and Hoss and I are different. We all have strengths and weaknesses."

"I know that now. These last six years I have had to take a good look at myself. Introspection is not something I ever cared to do much. You were always thinking. I prided myself on doing and being a man of action, but I found that some thinking is not such a bad thing."

"What I very much like now is that we can talk without yelling. In some ways we were both much too stubborn for our own good. This way is much better."

For another hour, father and son sat, talked honestly, and just enjoyed each other's company.

"How are the twins doing?"

"Well! Paul has stopped by almost every day. The way they're growing, he says there's nothing to worry about."

"With everything that has happened, I never heard when the twins are to be christened."

"Soon. Lyn needs to be stronger first. Matthew Benjamin Cartwright and Jacob Benjamin Cartwright. Lyn's father and her brother. And your name to tie the twins together. You do know that they will have separate birthdays. I actually like that because they will not have to share their most important day."

"Hoss asked me if you had that list of names of Norse gods ready for him. I hope he's not naming his child that way."

Adam let his father worry a little bit more before he told him.

"No, one of his hounds is about to litter and he wants to name all of them after Norse gods. He's giving the pick of the litter to Joe so that Alice will have some protection during the day."

Ben sighed at the necessity of that, and then they both chuckled because it would not have been all that unreasonable to expect Hoss to use Norse god's names for his children. Adam was going to tell Ben that in fact he had talked Hoss out of doing just that but decided not to open that topic. Ben didn't ask either so he didn't tell him.

 

Chapter 19

As Laurie grew even larger and October began, Hoss began to worry. He had trouble sleeping at night and sometimes wasn't even very hungry. Lyn's difficulties with the delivery of the twins had gotten Hoss to start thinking and worrying that something could go wrong. Even though Hop Sing was there with her every day all day, Hoss got in the habit of making sure he was home for lunch even if he didn't eat much. It was like the fear was contagious because Joe confided in Hoss one day as they worked that he was fearful of what could happen in the next few months as Alice got closer to her due date.

One day as the three brothers were riding about five weeks after the birth of the twins, discussing plans for the Ponderosa they wanted to discuss with their father, the subject of pregnancy came up as both Joe and Hoss wanted some advice as well as reassurance from Adam. He had been through this three times so they assumed he had known what to do.

"Relax and enjoy this special time. Talk about baby names and plans for the future. Keep your wife central to your life though, before and after the baby is born. You will love your wife and you will love your child, but your children will make their own lives someday, and it will be your wife who is still there by your side."

"Is that how you did it with Lyn?"

"No, I messed up pretty badly the first time. Luckily I've had two more chances to get it right."

"How'd you mess up?"

"I was too focused on me and what it would mean to me. I learned to focus on the us, the two of us, and then the three of us. That makes the six weeks of abstinence go by faster."

"The what?" emerged from both at the same time.

"Well, that brings up the next idea. Talk to the doctor about what will happen. There are some surprises like that that take some getting used to."

Both Hoss and Joe were contemplating a lot by then.

"So right now, you can't, you know?"

Adam just gave Hoss one of those long suffering looks.

"Anything else?"

"Work together on the nursery and buying things for the baby. Get or make something special for your child. Your wife will appreciate it immensely, and your child will have a family heirloom."

The three would have more conversations like that over the next few months as the two younger brothers took advantage of their older brother's experience as a parent.

But about three weeks after that first talk, Hoss and Joe were preparing for a trip to Carson City to look over some stock. As it was early fall, they weren't sure they would buy anything, but the fliers for the sale indicated there were some quality bulls and stallions in the stock that would be sold to the highest bidders. Hoss had checked with Laurie to be sure she was all right. His baby was due soon and he wanted to be sure to be there for that. She told him all was well and to hurry back. Ben walked outside to talk to them before they left.

"Boys, Adam and Lyn went for a ride that way earlier. You should see them as they are using the carriage. Lyn's not quite ready to sit a horse, but she wanted to get out for a while. She's been stuck in the house for a long time so Adam thought a little tour to see the sights that way would be nice for her. Please ask Adam to come in the house when they get back here. I would like to talk with him and I have something for him as well."

Hoss and Joe agreed to do that. As they rode near the last line shack in that direction, they saw the carriage standing next to it. Smoke was trailing out of the chimney so it was clear that a good fire was burning inside.

"Hey, Hoss, what do you suppose they're doing at the line shack? I thought Pa said there were some things Adam wanted to show Lyn out here?"

"Now, Joe, ifn you were to think about that, you'd know the answer. Adam has four children at his house now. Pretty hard I bet to get some privacy with his wife."

"Oh come on, Hoss, it's still morning, and heck, he's forty one years old."

"Joe, I'm thirty five and I ain't expecting to stop using it when I'm forty one!"

Joe just nodded but then shrugged at that. At twenty-nine, forty one did seem kind of old.

"When we get there and I yell to Adam, we'll see how long it takes him to answer. Then we'll know if it's before or after."

Joe started giggling and Hoss laughed too as they rode slowly down the hill to the line shack. When they reached the shack, Hoss used his most singsong high-pitched syrupy sweet voice.

"Yoo hoo, oh, Adam, honey, are you in there?"

Joe almost fell off his horse he was laughing so hard. Inside, the line shack, Adam stretched his head back and groaned. He had been in this delicious spoon with his wife on a blanket in front of a romantic fire and then this.

"Who is it, luv?"

"That would be my charming brothers who apparently have no respect for a man wanting a little time with his wife."

Adam started grabbing his clothing and yelled back.

"Just a minute, Hoss, I'll be right out."

It did take a few minutes, and by the time Adam stood on the porch of the line shack stuffing his shirt into his pants with his hair all mussed, his brothers could barely talk.

"After, Hoss, after!"

Peels of laughter erupted again and continued as Adam stood there with a scowl waiting for them to talk. He was in no mood to talk to them at that time. Finally Hoss was able to choke out their father's message, and then the two of them rode away still laughing.

"Wait, just wait. In a few months, you'll start to know exactly how I feel."

Adam was muttering that as Lyn joined him on the porch. Adam wrapped his arms around her unwilling to give up the rest of the time they had today.

"Well, at least we can still enjoy lunch in private. Those two won't be back."

"We have about an hour and a half before I need to be back to nurse the boys."

Adam pulled his wife into a last embrace before they ate lunch and had to head back. Lyn wrapped her arms around his neck and returned his passion. From the top of the hill, Hoss and Joe looked back.

"In six years, I hope Laurie still looks at me the way Lyn looks at Adam, and kisses me like she kisses him."

"Why wouldn't she, Hoss?"

"Oh, you know, you see how some marriages start so well and then a few years later they're all angry at each other and such."

"I guess we have to do what he does then. He treats her like a queen. Hey, when we're in Carson, maybe we ought to take some time to do a little shopping for the ladies?"

"Now, that, little brother, is a fine idea, a fine idea indeed."

"Hey, is that one of Adam's men up there on that hill?"

"Sure is. Adam don't want to take no chances with his family. Always one or both of them shadowing the family looking out for them."

After a quick lunch, Adam and Lyn stopped at the Ponderosa main house. Lyn went in search of Laurie as Adam walked to the study to see his father. Ben greeted him with a big grin and thanked him for stopping in. Then he reached next to his bookcase behind the desk to pick up a small guitar that he handed to Adam.

"With AC's musical talent, I thought perhaps he would like this. If he has an interest in learning or perhaps one of the younger children would want it later if he doesn't?"

The guitar was about half size but looked very familiar to Adam. It looked like a smaller version of the guitar his father had damaged in one of their last confrontations. Ben noticed his look and explained.

"I took your guitar to be repaired but they said the neck could be shortened or replaced but not repaired. I didn't know what you wanted and simply put it with your other things here. I forgot about it until you returned and knowing it couldn't be repaired to its original state, I bought that other one for you. Then I thought about this one and that they said the neck could be cut down so I took it back and they fashioned this smaller guitar using parts from that other one. The man said it sounds better than the usual small guitar because of the fine woods that were used."

Ben looked hopefully at his son wanting to see if his gesture was as meaningful as he wanted it to be. Adam lightly strummed the small instrument and then made a few adjustments. He strummed it again and smiled.

"Looks like most anything can be fixed. It's different. There's still some of the old, and now some new parts, but it has even greater quality than the original. Thank you."

"Things of exceptional quality are worth working on. We're good then?"

"We're good."

Adam found he couldn't say any more. They both knew they had been talking about more than the small guitar. His father slapped him on the shoulder, and they went to show the beautifully refashioned guitar to Lyn.

 

Epilogue Chapters: Full House Blues

These are based on a few things that just didn't fit into the first 19 chapters because I wanted to start with the guitar and end with the guitar. I had these ideas as I wrote the other chapters, and instead of discarding them when I couldn't find a place for them, decided to do a longer than usual epilogue.

Epilogue Chapter 1 Blueys

Laurie had a fast delivery. It was so fast in fact that Doctor Martin asked Laurie not to tell other expectant mothers that as they would have an unrealistic expectation of labor and delivery. Laurie was well suited to childbearing with a full figure. Still Doc had never expected that her entire labor and delivery would be completed in four hours with a healthy little girl with blue eyes and blond hair. Hoss did mention that Gerd was a nice name, but Laurie insisted they stay with the name they had chosen: Ingrid Marie Cartwright.

Adam and Lyn came over with gifts for their first niece and a gift for Hoss and Laurie too. Hoss wondered why Adam's family arrived in the buckboard instead of his carriage until AC yelled for him to come look. In the back were two unusual looking dogs: blueys or Australian blue heelers.

"Hoss, we gotcha the best dogs in the world. These are the dogs that work cattle and sheep stations all over New South Wales and Queensland and even into the outback, and there's no finer ranch dog anywhere."

"Lyn, I ain't so sure I understood everything ya said but the 'best dog' part certainly means a lot."

The dogs jumped down when given the command to do so by Adam. Hoss wanted to call them to him but didn't know their names and looked imploringly at Adam and Lyn who understood immediately.

"The male is Banger and the female is Bush Walk. These were our dogs when we were in Sydney. Banger is a great watchdog, and Bush won't let a child go anywhere alone. AC and Bush were very close, but she doesn't like the smell of the other dogs on him now."

Hoss called out Banger and Bush and the dogs went over to him and allowed him to pet them.

"Adam and I were able to train these dogs easily. They are very smart. They're young enough that they could still have pups if you want. And they can be very good house dogs too if a certain gentleman here would be willing to give them a chance."

The adults knew who they were talking about but didn't want AC to know and repeat what they said. Hoss knew it would be a challenge to convince Ben but he was already in love with these dogs, so he was going to make every effort.

"Unlike your hounds, they won't bark unless they're working or on alert because something is wrong."

With that, both Laurie and Hoss were convinced.

"You trusted them around your children?"

"Laurie, Lyn got them as puppies before AC was born so they're about six years old now. Yes, they were in the house as AC was a baby and then grew up. They were with us briefly after Beth was born, but we got them a home with friends when we left. They sent them to us because the dogs were so sad after we left. I think they'll be fine here. We'll see them a lot if you want them."

"Want them? Adam I'd pay ya for 'em ifn I had to. Thank you. I think I'll be giving away them hounds and working with these dogs. Those hounds are just hard to train, and they are loud."

Laurie nodded at that. Well that would be one selling point to Ben: let them have these dogs in the house and Hoss could get rid of the hounds.

 

Epilogue Chapter 2 Harvest Celebration, Adam and Joe

By early November, the Ponderosa was being readied for the annual harvest celebration. There was cleaning and decorating to do, food to prepare, and punch to mix. An area for dancing was set up just outside the house, and tables were set up and covered. The preparations had never gone so smoothly. With three women to help, much of the planning and the work had been willingly handed over to them as the men waited to be told what to do. Joe had hired a cook/housekeeper to help Alice and have someone else there for her protection. So his cook and Adam's were helping Hop Sing.

With nearly perfect weather, wagons and carriages streamed in from all over. The dancing was boisterous and the music festive. Food was served and dancing was interspersed with eating and drinking. As the evening wore on and there was less and less for the Cartwrights to have to do, Joe took Alice by the elbow and walked her to the dark behind the stable for a little quiet time with hugs and kisses. Alice said they ought to get back soon, and as they walked around the barn, they saw Adam approaching but a woman called out to him from the shadows.

"Howdy, cowboy, y'all one of them thar doggies what can curl a gal's toes with your kisses?"

Adam moved in and all they could see was a woman's arms circling his neck as he leaned in for what was clearly a passionate kiss. Joe left Alice's side and rushed over to grab Adam, pull him back, and smash a fist into his face. Adam fell back against the wall of the barn from the surprise assault.

"What the hell?"

Lyn dropped to her knees and put her hands on either side of Adam's face as he sat against the wall of the barn trying to rein in his temper.

"Luv, are you all right? All we wanted was a little pash and Joe comes in here like a bounce and does this."

"Adam, I am so sorry. I had no idea that was Lyn. She sounded like a Texas cowgirl."

"Joe, I will tell you once and never forget this: I will never be unfaithful to my wife even with a kiss. If you ever smack me like this again, be prepared for the consequences."

Alice tugged Joe to go before he said or did anything to make the situation worse. As they talked later, Joe realized he had not apologized to Lyn and turned to go back. He and Alice walked back toward the stable looking for Adam and Lyn but didn't see them. Suddenly, Alice grabbed Joe's arm and propelled him in the direction of the dance.

"What, why, what's going on?"

"Well if the sounds coming from the loft are any indication, Lyn isn't thinking about needing an apology from you right about now."

"Really? In the loft? Those two really need to get some time away."

Both of them snickered, but then Joe took Alice's elbow and steered her back into the shadows where they had been earlier. Later, as Joe and Alice came sauntering back to the party, they walked up next to Adam and Lyn. Joe picked some hay from the back of Adam's jacket and held it in front of him meaningfully before dropping it. Adam leaned to the side and picked a couple of twigs from Joe's hair, handed them to him, and smiled. They understood each other perfectly.

 

Epilogue Chapter 3 Harvest Celebration = just for laughs, Ben

At the harvest celebration, Ben Cartwright got to show appreciation to all of his neighbors and friends for everything that people had done for each other for that year. Everyone got to celebrate another season of herds thriving and crops being harvested. In addition, this year Ben was celebrating his growing family and that Alice, Hoss, and Adam had survived their ordeals. He couldn't have been a prouder man, but he was feeling a bit lonely too. As his three oldest sons spent time with their families, there was less time between father and sons. Jamie was spending his time chasing after young love, and Candy was betrothed and planning to marry in the spring. Griff seemed to prefer the company of the younger men in the bunkhouse and wasn't much of a chess player or conversationalist anyway.

Clementine had seemingly given up on her pursuit of Ben Cartwright, and he surprised himself by admitting that actually bothered him some. So when Ben saw Clementine at the dance, he asked her to dance and she accepted. Then they danced a number of dances as the evening progressed. Without her aggressive push to ensnare him, he had time to appreciate her good humor, her skill with dancing, and her interesting comments on others which were not mean nor nasty but often quite entertaining. She was more petite than he had realized. His fear had apparently made him remember her as being more dominating than she was.

Standing at the refreshment table, savoring some cool punch after a number of dances, Ben got up the nerve to ask.

"Clementine, it is very warm tonight. Would you like to take a stroll?"

"Well, Benjamin, I would enjoy that."

"You can call me Ben you know. Benjamin sounds so formal."

"Alright, Ben. My parents called me Clemmie but I much preferred my late husband's name for me: he called me Cleo. It sounds so much more royal than Clementine or Clemmie."

Ben offered her his elbow, and they walked to the garden in the back. Candy and his fiancée were locked in a passionate embrace on the bench there so they made a strategic retreat. Ben steered her toward the barn because there was a nice grassy area behind the barn and a pretty grove of trees where they could have a nice walk and privacy. As they walked there, there were some passionate sounds coming from the grove and what sounded suspiciously like his son Joseph's giggles, so Ben suggested they take a walk into the barn to see the new puppies Hoss had told him about. As they stepped into the barn and Ben grabbed a lantern to light, there was a decidedly feminine but oddly accented 'Yee hah, ride 'em, cowboy' from the loft, and he had no desire to find out who was up there. Ben set the lantern down, grabbed Cleo's elbow and steered her toward the house. As Ben and Cleo walked into the house, they interrupted Jamie as he tried to steal a kiss from a red haired girl who had recently moved to town with her family. Jamie got almost as red as his hair as did the young lady, but Ben decided this was not the time to talk about it. Instead, he turned to Cleo and asked her for the next dance. She was chuckling.

"Ben, I never knew what went on at these parties of yours!"

Ben could only shake his head and walk his dance partner outside. All thoughts of finding out if he could steal a kiss tonight were gone. As they walked outside and began to dance, Joe and Alice, and Adam and Lyn were standing just outside the circle of dancers.

"Hey, Adam, that's not Pa dancing with Clementine Hawkins, is it?"

"Well, Joe, I would say it is except he looks happy."

"Amazing, you just never know what's going to happen at these harvest parties!"


End file.
